Summer Paradise
by Astrocam
Summary: Hinata is in love with her best friend, Naruto. But, she is forced to spend the summer away from him. What kind of adventures will she encounter in this new place?
1. How to Save a Life

**Astrocam: Hey, it's me again :) This time I'm going to attempt to write a full-length fic and not just a one shot. Forgive me if the updates are not as fast as you hope. I am nearing the end of my first year in college, so it will be busy. Along with my personal life having a lot of drama. **

**I wrote a story like this a while back. Some of you may remember. It was a Gaara/Hina fic based on a summer vacation. I took that one down because I didn't like how it turned out. So, this is pretty much me re-writing it, with hopefully better results.**

**Pairings: Gaa/Hina (romantic), Naru/Hina (friendship). Of course there will be a love triangle. It's a romance story. **

**Warning: IF YOU DO NOT LIKE THE GAARA/HINATA PAIRING, STOP READING RIGHT NOW. Gaara/Hinata is personally my favorite pairing, so please no comments about how they shouldn't be together because they never talk in the show, or something. I know that. I watch the anime. This is called fanfiction. **

**With that out of the way, on with the story.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. Or else Gaara and Hinata would be together if I had anything to say about it.**

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><p><strong>Chapter One – How to Save a Life<strong>

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><p><em>Tell me how to get back to, back to Summer Paradise with you, and I'll be there in a heart beat...<em>

Hyuuga Hinata watched the horizon of her hometown of Konoha disappear below the clouds. Her flight had taken off. She was leaving behind her home, her family, and friends to attend a summer school course in a town called Suna, which was a two-hour flight from Konoha. It didn't seem like a long distance, but to Hinata, it felt like a lifetime.

The course she was going to take was only taught in a school in Suna, so she'd had no other choice. She was going to miss out on summer vacation with her Konoha friends, including the one person she cared deeply about. No, maybe even...loved.

She fiddled around in her backpack for her mp3 player, pulled it out, and flicked it on. Setting the earphones in her ear, she pressed buttons until she found the song she had been listening to ever since that day...

Slide by Goo Goo Dolls.

She closed her eyes, letting the sun hit her face through the airplane window and reminisced about the most amazing day of her life.

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><p>Just a few weeks ago, she had been in school in Konoha, texting one of her closest friends, Uzumaki Naruto. They normally only hung out on weekends, or when they weren't too busy with other things. Today though, the weather was amazingly beautiful for this time of year. It was March and it was 26 degrees celcius. Could it get any better than that?<p>

Apparently it could.

Naruto sent her a text message. **You know what? Why don't we skip last period since we don't have anything important to do. Let's just go. The weather is too beautiful to be stuck in this building all day.**

Hinata didn't like the idea of skipping a class. But, she hadn't skipped any at all this year except for twice when she was sick. She hadn't had a break in a while, and she figured she deserved one.

She wrote him back. **Ok. Meet me outside the front doors.**

He quickly answered. **See you in a few.**

They hadn't hung out other than seeing each other in school for a couple of weeks. This would be nice.  
>Hinata loved her time with Naruto. He was her best friend, and she knew that she was one<br>of his best friends. They shared a special bond, one that was more than friendship but not quite romantic. At least, not yet.

Hinata was in love with him. After being friends for nearly six years, how could she not be? He had stuck with her through everything. He had even stuck up for her when she was bullied a couple years back when she'd first started high school. They had fought a few times, but always pulled through because their dedication to each other was so great. Hinata often wondered why Naruto still bothered with her, but she was glad that he did.

Now they were past the rough patches, and Hinata knew it was only uphill from here. She had yet to confess her feelings to him, though. The moment never seemed right.

He beat her to the doors. He was waiting for her when she walked up.

"Hey! Man it's gorgeous outside. Let's go!" Naruto grinned, opening the door and taking a deep breath of the fresh spring air.

Hinata had to admit, he was right. She loved warm weather, but not so warm that it was muggy. This was just right. The perfect day to spend with her best friend.  
>Their school was on the waterfront, so they headed down a path that took them to a rocky bank that had huge rocks they could easily sit on. Hinata had been here a few times with Naruto, but they had always been with friends. This was their first time alone in quite a while.<p>

They found a spot on the rocks to sit. "How's your classes going?" Naruto asked. They were only in one class together, and that was the class they were missing now.

"Fine. I'll graduate with decent marks I think. Y-you?" Hinata still blushed when the two of them were alone, and when he was talking to only her. She just couldn't get over how amazing he was.

"I'm not sure, one is kind of iffy. I hope that I graduate. I'll talk to my teacher I guess." Reaching his arms out behind him, he laid flat on his back on the rock, his hands behind his head. It was large enough for two people to lay down on, so Hinata did the same. Their elbows touched and her heartbeat sped up. She loved making contact with him. Any type of contact with him would make her heart beat faster.

"I-I'm sure you will." She loved encouraging him, too. She knew he didn't get much encouragement, so praise from her meant everything to him.

As it was, he rolled over so that he was facing her. "Thanks! I think I will too."

Again, she blushed at his closeness. His face was only a few inches from hers, but likely nothing would happen. It was always this way when they were alone.

He reached into his pocket to pull out his mp3 player. "I've got a song you might like." Flicking a few buttons, he finally stopped at a song that Hinata recognized but didn't know the name of.

She was about to ask Naruto about the song, but suddenly, he was blocking the sun, moving over top of her so that both of his hands were on either side of her. She let out a yelp when he started tickling her sides. The song was still playing.

"Hah! I know your spots, Hinata! You can't get away!" he laughed.

Hinata couldn't help but giggle, rolling back and forth to try and get away. She didn't want to roll over too far to one side, she might fall off the rock. She was at a disadvantage.

Naruto had done this to her before. This was not unusual. He loved to to torture her, usually by tickling or wrestling. Even though she didn't put up much of a fight, he'd pin her down in seconds, yell that he won, and jump up and run, letting her chase him.

After a few moments, he finally stopped tickling her, then balanced himself over top of her again. "I win!" he grinned, his cerulean blue eyes glinting. The sun was behind him, and cast a glow over his sun-kissed blond hair, making it look almost like he was glowing.

Hinata just smiled up at him, expecting him to roll off of her so they could continue basking in the sun together.

Instead, he dipped his head down and pressed his lips lightly onto her mouth. So lightly she almost didn't feel it, but she gasped in surprise anyway. Just as she gasped, he pulled away quickly.

_No, don't stop! _Her mind shouted, but she remained silent, staring up at him in shock.

"I'm sorry," Naruto sat up so that he was sitting beside her, not on top of her now.

"N-no, don't be," Hinata sat up as well. This was the moment. She had to do it. He had kissed her. Maybe he felt the same way.

"I-I guess I just..." Naruto started to say, but then a third voice interrupted him.

"Hey! I thought I heard voices!"

Hinata groaned. It was one of her classmates, Kiba. _No Kiba, not now!_ She pleaded just as he jumped down a few rocks to sit on a rock next to her and Naruto.

She knew Kiba had feelings for her as well. She just didn't return those feelings to him. She looked at him as a good friend. Kiba was obviously jealous whenever she was alone with Naruto, so he often had to interrupt if he saw them together. He didn't understand the meaning of "alone time".

"So guys, what's up?" Kiba seemed to notice the awkward air around them but he pushed ahead with his interference.

Hinata sighed. What had Naruto been about to say? She'd have to ask him later.

Naruto pretended like nothing had been about to happen and went on to have a conversation with Kiba about their last science project of the year. Hinata just sat there in silence, confused. Naruto had just kissed her. Why?

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><p>Now, Hinata would never find out the answer, because since that day she had not gotten a chance to be alone with him. He hadn't talked to her much, either, as though afraid she was going to bring it up again. In fact, he seemed to be avoiding her.<p>

She had been hurt, but he had come to see her goodbye before she'd gone away for the summer. He'd given her a hug, told her to message him whenever she wanted, and told her to be safe. That was it. No hint of anything romantic. No reaction to what had happened between them. She internally cursed Kiba for interrupting just before she had been about to confess.

"We have arrived at the Suna airport. Please prepare for landing." came the captain's voice over the announcement system on the plane.

The stewardesses instructed everyone to have their trays up and seats back in the proper position. Hinata followed what they said, but she already knew the basic landing procedures. She had flown before.

Landing was bumpy, but they made it. Hinata gathered her bag that she had brought on the plane with her and followed everyone down the tubes, out to the airport. No one was coming to greet her, so she had to fend for herself until she got to her apartment. She had found an apartment to rent for the few months she would be there. The landlord had his apartment set up for purposes like this, when students only needed to stay a few months. She was grateful she had found it. It came furnished and everything, at an affordable price.

Once she'd found all her luggage, she called a taxi and one arrived for her in minutes. The taxi driver helped her put her stuff in the car, then she told him where she wanted to go.

"Arigato," she told him when he helped her take her bags into her apartment. She gave him a tip for that, even though the ride had been expensive. Her father had given her lots of spending money as well, some even for groceries, but she hoped to get a part-time job while in school so as not to worry about spending money. Her family was well-off, but this summer, Hinata wanted to be independent.

She hadn't really seen her apartment yet, only in pictures. So she took the time to explore, figuring out where she was going to put her things. She was a bit tired from the flight, but it was late afternoon, and she wanted to go on the beach as well. The beach was about a five minute walk from her apartment.

Then she heard her cell phone ringing. She rushed to catch it before the person hung up. It was Naruto.

"Hey, Hinata. I see you made it to Suna. I called you a couple times but you must have been in the plane."

"I-I was." Hinata was surprised that Naruto was calling her. He had been avoiding her since they had kissed.

"That's good. How's your place?"

"I-it looks fine. I-I'm going to unpack later, I will probably g-go to the beach in a bit." Hinata had a natural stutter to her voice that made her sound like she was nervous and shy all the time. Once in a while she could speak clearly, when she was angry, or upset, or had to make a point. But most of her casual conversation was made in her stuttering voice.

"I bet you're surprised that I called. I just wanted to make sure you got there safe. That's all."

"O-oh." Hinata had hoped that maybe he wanted to talk about what had happened. "Well, I'm f-fine. Thanks for c-calling."

But Naruto didn't hang up, as she'd expected. "Hinata..." he began.

"Y-yes?"

"I'm sorry I've been avoiding you. I know you're upset with me because of what happened. I've realized I'm going to miss you when you're not here for the summer. Going to the beach and hanging out with our friends won't be the same without you. I shouldn't have spent our last month together avoiding you."

"I-it's ok, Naruto-kun..." Hinata knew she would forgive him no matter what. She loved him that much.

"I'm glad you forgive me. I would hate to spend the whole summer wondering if you were still mad at me."

"I-I'm not."

"Good. Maybe I can get a job and save up for a flight to come visit you for a week or two," Naruto offered.

Hinata jumped at the idea. "T-that would be fun."

"I'll try to get a summer job. Then save up everything I can."

A "beep" sound interrupted her phone call. "I-I'm sorry, my father is calling," she told him. "I-I'll talk to you later."

"Cool. I'll message you later. Bye."

"B-bye." Hinata ended her phone call with Naruto and answered her father's call. She chatted with him for a bit to assure him that she was fine. Her mom had left the family when Hinata was just a baby, but her father refused to talk about it, so she just accepted that she didn't have a mother.

After that phone call, Hinata decided she should wait until the next day to go down to the beach, since it was now starting to get dark and she hadn't unpacked yet. She spent the evening unpacking, then had her first shower at her new apartment. Her father had given her money for her first grocery run, which she would be doing in the morning. For tonight though, she walked the few minutes to the gas station and picked up a few snacks to do her over until she got groceries.

She talked to Naruto most of the night before falling asleep.

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><p>Since her course didn't start for a couple of weeks, Hinata had some time to get used to the area and get a feel for where things were. She'd planned it this way, although that meant two less weeks with Naruto, she knew she needed time to get used to everything.<p>

Today she needed groceries. She assumed that she would have to call a cab, which she did once she was finished making her rounds. It turned out to be the same taxi driver from before. Again, he helped her with her packages, and then gave her his personal taxi number in case she needed a driver again. He told her if she drove with him enough, he'd start giving her discounts. This pleased her.

Once back comfortably in her apartment, having unpacked and put away all her groceries, she made a real lunch time meal for herself, consisting of a tuna sandwich with strawberries and yogurt for dessert. Much more appetizing than the bag of chips she'd had for supper last night...

Her cell phone vibrated just as she was eating her lunch. It was Naruto.

He wrote, **Hey, Hinata. I hope your first night went well. How are you? I miss you.**

Hinata blushed at the last few words of the text. _I miss you. _He missed her? And she'd only been gone a day...

She responded quickly. **Hello, Naruto. I'm fine. Went to get groceries this morning. Got the same taxi driver I had last night. He's nice. I miss you as well.**

It only took a few bites of her sandwich for Naruto to respond again. **At least the people are nice there. That's good. I'm going to apply for some summer jobs today, so I can save up some money to come visit you.**

Hinata was glad that he was willing to make that effort just for her. **That will be fun. I hope I can see you this summer. **

**Me, too. When is your course over?**

**Middle of August. So I'll come home with a few weeks of good weather left. Even if you don't make it here, don't worry.**

**Excellent. Well, I gotta go. Sakura-chan wants me to go prom dress shopping with her. Ugh, really?**

Hinata giggled at that, but then sighed. She was going to miss her prom due to this course, and her graduation, but she would have her transcript mailed to her. This course was essential for the college program she planned to attend this September, and if she didn't take it now she would have to wait for another year.

**Ok, tell Sakura to send me pictures of the dress she picks. And I want a picture of her and Sasuke together.**

**I will tell her. She misses you, too. She's going to text you sometime today. Talk to you later.**

**Sounds good. Bye.**

After lunch, Hinata decided to head into town to do a little shopping. She wanted to explore the town and see what kind of stores were there.

She decided to dress up a little bit, since she was in a new place and wanted to look nice. Not that people cared. She didn't know anyone. But, she wanted to make an impression. She wanted to make her friends and family in Konoha proud to know her.

Instead of her normal sweatshirt and yoga pants, Hinata decided to go with a light blue fluttery shirt that was kind of baggy and sheer, with a white tank top underneath it. To make it look more fitted to her waist, she secured a brown belt around the shirt under her breasts. For pants she threw on a pair of dark wash skinny jeans with a belt. These were the kinds of things she usually only wore when going out with friends, or some important event.

As she looked at herself in the full-length mirror in her bedroom, she realized that dressing up this way made her feel more confident. She couldn't help thinking that...maybe she looked...good. She should do this more often.

It was a new place, a new start. Hinata decided not only was she going to be in Suna to go to school, she was going to transform herself. Her looks, her personality, everything. When she returned to Konoha, Naruto would be shocked.

Yes. This was a new goal. To make herself look, and feel good. To be confident.

A little thrilled about discovering this new goal, she decided to take it a step farther. In town, she would buy some make up. She didn't have much in her collection, just the basics in case she had a pimple she wanted to cover or something. But she'd seen other girls like Sakura and Ino wear it, and thought it looked good. If she could learn to do this...

Eager now, Hinata grabbed her purse, rushed out of her bedroom to put on her silver flats. Maybe she would even get a new hairstyle, she'd had her violet-coloured hair straight for as long as she could remember.

Once she was in the downtown area with the shops and restaurants (it was a ten minute walk from her apartment), Hinata went into a make up store, and one of the girls who worked there gave her a make over. When she was done, Hinata hardly recognized herself, and she liked it. She liked the way the eyeliner made her unusual lavender eyes stand out even more. Hinata purchased most of the make up items the girl had showed her how to use, then headed to a clothing store next.

As she was walking towards the boutique, she couldn't help but notice a man walking back and forth in front of a store. He seemed agitated, nervous, he was quietly murmuring to himself. Hinata figured he must just be mentally challenged, as they had a few of those in Konoha wandering the streets. She thought nothing of it, and continued on her way.

Suddenly, someone let out a scream.

Hinata whirled around, alarmed. A woman who had been standing close to the man was now being held hostage by him, he had a gun to her head, his arm tightly around her neck.

The man looked directly at Hinata. Other pedestrians and onlookers dropped to the ground, worried the gun may go off. Some ran into stores. Cars pulled over. Hinata remained standing, while the man's eyes were fixed on her own.

"Give me all your bags, and your money, or the woman dies," he growled. "I'm sick of not having money for food to feed my family."

Hinata wondered why he didn't just grab her when she'd walked by him. But that didn't matter. She dropped her bags quickly, and her purse. "T-take it all. Just don't hurt her!" Hinata's heart was pounding. She had never encountered something like this in Konoha.

The man roughly pushed the woman against the wall of the building, causing her to fall to the ground, then rushed up to Hinata, grabbed her bags and money, whirled around and ran.

A few seconds later, sirens could be heard. One of the police cars gave chase to the man, the other stopped just inches from the sidewalk and where Hinata was standing, in shock.

"Ma'am?"

She turned to see a young man with crimson red hair and jade eyes, he looked very young to be in the force. Then again he could just be out of school as she was. "Y-yeah?" she murmured, quieter than normal.

"Are you all right?"

"I think you should make sure that she i-is," Hinata gestured shakily to the woman who was still on the ground.

The young man nodded to the rest of his team, who went over to examine the woman. He stayed with Hinata though. "Can you walk?" he asked her.

What kind of silly question was that? "O-of course I..." Hinata took a step forward, and a wave of dizziness and nausea washed over her. Her ears began ringing, and inkblots dotted her vision. She stumbled, but the officer caught her before she hit the ground.

"I noticed you were shaking. You're in shock. Let me take you to the hospital. Is there anyone I can contact?"

"No. I-I'm here alone. Just m-moved here yesterday." she suddenly found it difficult to speak. Her words were slurring.

"Ah shit, I think we need an ambulance here!" was the last thing Hinata heard before darkness closed over her.

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><p>Fortunately, since Hinata was eighteen, they didn't need to call her parents. She was legally an adult. She woke to find the police officer from before standing beside her bed. She was surprised he had waited for her.<p>

The first thing she said was, "S-shouldn't you be on duty?"

"I am. I was told to watch over you. Since you told me you were here alone, I figured you should have someone to wake up to."

Hinata was grateful for his kindness. "Thank you."

"No, thank you. You saved that woman's life. And, we captured the man and got your possessions back for you. They're waiting for you in my car." The man sat down in the chair next to her bedside.

"Thank you again. I-I have never witnessed something like that before."

"I don't imagine. I hope you don't mind, but we looked at your driver's license and health cards to confirm who you were. We didn't look at what's inside your bags, though. I told them not to. Nice to meet you, Hyuuga Hinata from Konoha."

Hinata blushed. "T-that's me. N-nice to meet you, too."

"Sorry. I haven't told you my name yet." he gave a small smile. "Sabaku no Gaara. How are you feeling?"

"Fine. B-better." Hinata confirmed. There were no more inkblots or ringing in her ears.

"We'll bring the doctor in to examine you before you leave. I will need your witness reports, though, so we can close the case. I've already interviewed the woman, and she is fine." Gaara stood and left the room, returning with a doctor. He was allowed to stay while the doctor examined Hinata.

"Everything looks clear. Take it easy for the next few days. You just have to fill out some papers, then you may go." The doctor gave her a friendly smile before leaving her and Gaara alone again.

Hinata blushed when she remembered she was in a hospital gown. "W-where are my clothes?" she asked Gaara.

"Over there." Gaara pointed to a chair across the small room. "I'll leave you to get dressed, but I'll wait for you outside."

When Hinata was alone, she replayed the day's events as she got dressed. She had saved a woman's life. Somehow, that wasn't registering in her brain. She had given up her money and possessions for a complete stranger. Wouldn't that be something to tell Naruto? She'd never tell her father, though. He would demand for her to return home. He was pretty protective, sometimes overbearing. It had taken a lot of convincing for him to let her leave for the summer.

She was imagining what Naruto's reaction would be as she stepped out of the room, fully-clothed, carrying her hospital gown. Gaara was leaning against the wall, his arms folded across his chest. Hinata had to admit, he was rather...attractive.

"All set?" he asked when he saw her.

"Yes."

She went through the procedures of filling out the paperwork with her information. All the while, Gaara waited for her. He never left her side, even as they stepped out of the hospital into a bright, clear sunny day. As though the past few hours hadn't happened.

Hinata could tell by the angle of the sun that it was late afternoon, now. Her plans for shopping were over. Most shops here closed at six PM, only few stayed open until nine. Plus, she was still too shaken up from what had happened to even attempt another shopping trip, at least not for a few days.

"I'll take you home so you don't have to pay a taxi. Where do you live?" Gaara led the way to his police car without waiting for her answer.

She followed him, telling him her address. When she crawled into the backseat of the car, she saw that her purse and bags were there. She opened her wallet. Her money was all there, as well as her identification. She sighed in relief.

"Sorry, but passengers have to ride in the back, because we have a bunch of stuff up here," Gaara pointed out the control panels and various buttons.

"I understand. A-at least I'm not in handcuffs." Hinata managed a small joke, but it got a chuckle from Gaara.

"You're too pretty for that," he murmured.

Hinata was surprised at his boldness, but she didn't acknowledge his comment. She wasn't sure what to say to something like that. But...she had to admit, she liked it.

"Here you are," Gaara announced ten minutes later when they reached her apartment complex. "Do you need help with anything?"

"N-no, but thank you." Hinata could manage her bags by herself. They weren't that big.

"Anytime. I know this is kind of personal...but I like you. And, since you're new here, would I be able to show you around sometime?" Gaara leaned out his window to talk to her.

Hinata was standing a few inches from him. She didn't know him well, but she found that he could be trusted. He was a police officer, after all. "Sure. I-I don't have any friends here."

"Here's my number. Call or text anytime. I have unlimited." Gaara wrote down his number on a notepad, ripped out the sheet, then handed it to her.

"A-arigato." Hinata decided she wouldn't leave him hanging. She wanted to make friends. Why not start here?

"Have a good night." Gaara gave her a small wave with his hand before driving off.

Hinata looked at the number he had scrawled on the paper. He'd written his name above it, too, so she wouldn't by chance forget who had written it.

_Sabaku no Gaara,_ she thought, heading towards her apartment building.

Maybe this would be an interesting summer after all.

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><p><strong>Astrocam: I hope you enjoyed it. If so, fave and comment :) Thanks :) <strong>


	2. Just Friends?

**Astrocam: Thanks a lot for the faves, reviews and alerts :) Here's chapter two. Happy Easter if you celebrate it :)**

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><p><strong>Chapter Two - Just Friends? <strong>

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><p>The next morning, Hinata ate a proper breakfast, then decided to give Gaara a call to see if he was free. She was always nervous calling someone the first time. Since she had a quiet voice, people often had to ask her to repeat herself. It annoyed her, so this time, she vowed she wouldn't make Gaara ask that question. If he answered.<p>

The phone only rang a few times before he answered. "Hello?"

"Hey, it's H-Hinata. From yesterday."

"Oh, hey, Hinata. How are you feeling?"

"M-much better."

"That's good. Any particular reason you called?"

Hinata took a deep breath as her palms grew a little sweaty. It was nerve-wracking asking someone to hang out the first time. "I-I was wondering if you would like t-to show me around the town today? If y-you don't have to work..."

"No, today's my day off. That's why I gave you my number, in hopes you'd call today."

"O-oh."

"So when will you be ready? I'll just pick you up...in my own car, of course. Not a police car this time," Gaara said with a smile in his voice.

Hinata couldn't help but grin. "Give me an hour."

"See you then."

"B-bye." Hinata was eager to spend the day with a new friend. Even if he was on the police force. She wondered how old he was, hoping that he wasn't in his thirties, because if he was that would be weird. She was only eighteen. If she found out he was that old, she would probably stop seeing him and just focus on meeting friends in the course.

Secretly, she hoped he was at least close to her age. Because she wanted to be friends with him. He had watched over her after the incident had happened, making sure she was all right. He was a protector of sorts.

Naruto's reaction when Hinata had told him about nearly being robbed had been almost violent.

"What the hell? What the fuck kind of asshole does that? Now I really wish I'd gone with you. Suna seems like a dangerous place. Your dad was right to be worried about sending you there. Are you ok?"

"_I-I'm fine, Naruto-kun. Don't worry a-about me. Gaara was there."_

"_Gaara?"_

"_O-one of the police officers who came to help. Someone o-obviously called 911 when they s-saw a man with a gun on the street."_

"_Oh. I'm glad he was there, then. Still, I swear to you I'm going to come to Suna as soon as possible. I'll stay there the whole summer, get a job there. Officer Gaara can't always be there. What if it happened in an abandoned alleyway? No one would have seen you to call help."_

_Naruto was right. What if something dangerous like that happened again, and no one was around to help her? Perhaps she should have thought twice about coming here by herself..._

"_I-I will be glad to have your company, Naruto-kun."_

"_Then it's settled. I'm coming."_

Hinata liked his sudden protective attitude towards her. She was glad he was willing to leave his home behind for a summer with her. The thought of spending a summer alone with him sent a thrill through her. Her dad would never approve, but he didn't have to know that Naruto was coming. If he did find out, Hinata would say that Naruto was sleeping in a different apartment, when she knew she would share her one bedroom with him.

Her thoughts drifted from Gaara to him as she got ready for the day. She slipped on a light purple tank top with a violet cardigan over it, light wash skinny jeans and her silver flats. She only had a few pairs of shoes, so she didn't have much to choose from.

When she was happy with her outfit, she used her new makeup products and managed to closely re-create the look she had been made over with yesterday.

_I'd love Naruto to see me in this,_ she thought, looking herself over in the mirror. The tank top showed only a hint of cleavage, but it was more than she had dared to go before. If she wore this tank top before it was always with a closed sweater over top of it.

Gaara was right on time. Hinata couldn't help but notice that his eyes seemed to follow her body before focusing back on her face. "You look nice," he commented.

"T-thanks." she blushed. "S-so do you."

He was wearing a black t-shirt with normal guy jeans. So simple, but so...alluring.

He just smiled at her comment, then opened the passenger door for her. "This is my car."

It was a black Honda Civic, and it looked really nice. "I-it's cool," Hinata slid into the passenger side. Gaara closed the door behind her, then rushed around to the driver's side.

Hinata figured she should get this out of the way before she took their new found friendship any farther. "How old a-are you? If you don't m-mind me asking?"

Gaara revved up the car. "Nineteen. And you?"

She was surprised he was that young. "Eighteen," she answered.

"I know. I'm young to be on the police force. I graduated high school at seventeen, took a police course the following September, graduated that at eighteen. I'm still only a rookie, but being in the force as short of a time as I have, I've seen quite a few things."

Hinata understood now. It made more sense. "O-oh, I see. I haven't g-gone to college yet. The course I-I'm taking here is sort of a requirement t-that I need to get into the course I want."

"What's that?"

"I w-want to be a nurse."

"Ohh, cool."

"Where are we going?" Hinata was curious. They were driving downtown again, and drove past the spot where the incident had occurred just yesterday. Hinata still shuddered at the memory. "D-do you know what happened to the woman who w-was being held hostage?"

"To answer your first question, we're going to the next street over because it's very similar to this one with shops and things, and the woman is just fine. In fact, she wanted to meet you, but we had already left. She passed on the message that she is very grateful for what you did."

"I-I kind of want to meet her too."

"We have her information on file as well as yours. We can give her a call and arrange a meeting, if you wish."

"T-that would be nice." Hinata was glad she had met Gaara. Even though her life had changed in such a short amount of time, she was glad he was part of it. She still couldn't get her head wrapped around the fact that she had saved someone's life, risked losing her identity and all of her money for a stranger. Her father would either be pleased or really upset, but she wouldn't tell him about it for fear of his reaction.

Gaara took her to a shoes store as she requested, where she tried on shoes and found two pairs that she liked. One was a pair of red flats, the other was a two inch black wedge. The salesgirl assured her they were more comfortable to walk in than heels, so Hinata figured she could try them first before plunging into buying heels.

"Now where?" Gaara asked as they stepped out of the store.

"I-I'm not sure." Hinata looked around at the many shops on the street.

Suddenly, someone's car motor backfired and Hinata flinched, remembering the man holding the gun to the woman's head. The gun hadn't gone off, but the sound she'd just heard reminded her of the incident.

"It's ok Hinata, it's not a gun." Gaara patted her arm.

"I-I know."

"Do you want to go to the beach? Have you been there yet?"

"N-no, I haven't, but I-I would like to go." Hinata decided she'd best get out of town before something else scared her. Besides, shopping wasn't all that fun. It got tiring after a while.

"Good." Gaara led the way back to where his car was parked, and they headed to the beach.

Hinata hadn't brought a swimsuit with her, but it was still kind of chilly to go swimming anyways. The ocean was always warmer in the late summer months.

The beach was gorgeous. Hinata was snapping pictures of the area and posting them on Facebook directly from her phone. Naruto and Sakura commented on a few of the pictures.

Suddenly, Gaara randomly snatched her phone out of her hand.

"Hey!" Hinata giggled, reaching for her phone as Gaara held it up above his head.

"Sorry. Only tall people allowed." Gaara smirked.

It reminded her of when Naruto often teased her for being smaller than average. "G-give that back! I-I was talking to my friends!"

"Nope. Your friends can wait. I'm going to take a picture of you. You should make them jealous. Go stand in front of the water. Or make like you're walking on the beach," Gaara instructed, holding her phone in front of him as though taking a picture.

Hinata liked that idea. She jogged over to where she thought was a good position and started walking along the shore. Gaara snapped a few pictures, then handed her phone back to her. She picked the one she liked best and used it as her display picture on Facebook. The first comment made was from Naruto.

"_**Who took that picture?"**_

Hinata answered and told him that Gaara had taken it. Then he almost immediately texted her to keep the conversation private.

**You're with Gaara now?**

**Yes, why?**

**I didn't know you guys were friends. Isn't he a cop?**

**He is, but he's only 19. **

**Oh. **

**Don't worry, Naruto. You guys would be good friends I think.**

"Who ya texting?" Gaara asked in a casual but curious way.

"M-my friend Naruto from back home."

"Friend?"

"Y-yes, just friends." Hinata wondered why it mattered. She had only just met Gaara. He could have a girlfriend for all she knew.

Gaara nodded slowly. "Interesting."

Her phone vibrated again, so she checked the message. It was from Sakura.

**Ooh, you have a friend there? Do tell.**

**He's just a friend, Sakura. He's on the police force.**

**A police officer? Details, details!**

**Friends only. Nothing more.**

**Aww, well I'm sure that will change after a month or so. I'm with Naruto at the ramen shop and he's nearly exploding with jealousy. He keeps telling me how he can't wait to get down there.**

This news surprised Hinata. Naruto was jealous? Of her having a friend that was a guy?

She kind of liked his jealous side. She hadn't known he felt that way when she hung out with guys.

"You're kind of quiet. What's wrong?" Gaara's voice broke into her thoughts.

Hinata put her phone away for now. She was going to ignore all text messages until she was back home. "N-nothing. Just a bit of friend drama back home."

"Maybe I can help. I've had experience with that."

Hinata quickly made up a story, although not exaggerating too much. She made it sound like shew as talking about someone else rather than herself. "One of my f-friends has a best friend who is a g-guy, and he gets jealous when she h-hangs out with other guys."

Gaara nodded. "I've seen that before. I'm sure he will get over it. It's just the initial feeling that she's branching out and meeting new people and he's worried that someone will take his place, is all."

Hinata sighed a little. "O-oh." Naruto wasn't jealous. It was just the "she's mine, back off" feeling.

"You seem disappointed."

"N-no, just...kind of tired."

"Do you want to go back home?"

Hinata didn't really want to spend the rest of the afternoon and evening by herself in her apartment. But what else could she do? "N-no. I just don't know what else there is t-to do around here."

"You could come over to my place and we could have supper and watch TV. I don't have any parents, just siblings."

_Just like Naruto, only Naruto has no siblings either,_ Hinata thought. She was nervous about going over to Gaara's though. She barely knew him for a day. Was it too soon? "I'm not s-sure if I'm ready for that."

"Understandable. Hm, what else, then?" Gaara thought for a moment before speaking up again. "I'll take you out to dinner. There's a nice restaurant near the ocean that you can watch the sunset. It's got fish and chips if you're into that kind of stuff. The seafood stuff."

Hinata nodded. "S-sounds good."

They got into his car and took off towards the restaurant.

* * *

><p>After the dinner, Gaara took Hinata back to her apartment. He parked on the curb outside the building and turned to face her. "I had a good time today."<p>

"M-me, too," she blushed.

"I've got your number saved in my phone so you can call me anytime. Although I work the next two days, but I'm off on Saturday. If you want to, you can add me on MSN so we can chat easier." Gaara grabbed a notebook and wrote down his hotmail address, handing it to her. "I'll be online when I get home. I usually always am, unless I'm at work or busy with other things."

Hinata wondered what "other things" he could be busy with, but brushed it off. "A-arigato. You'll be able to tell it's m-me when I add you."

"Alright. Talk to you later." Gaara waited until she got out of the car before taking off again.

Hinata was glad she had met Gaara. He was nice, they had a good time together, and they had a few things in common. Plus, he was kind of a protector. Even if she had only known him for a day, she already felt good vibes from him. If Naruto did end up coming down, the three of them could hang out together, and...

Something sent up a red flag, telling her that wasn't the best idea. Maybe Naruto really was jealous. Gaara could be wrong, not all guys thought the same. That was just Gaara's opinion.

She spent the rest of the evening talking to Naruto and watching television. Gaara came online so she talked to him as well. They made plans to hang out his next day off, which was Saturday. She wasn't sure what she was going to do by herself the next couple of days, but it would be nice to just relax, maybe go to the beach and lay down or something.

She signed offline and went to bed.

* * *

><p>The next couple days were not too exciting. As she predicted, she talked to her friends and father, watched TV, ate. She did go to the beach as well, finding a few shells and souvenirs to bring home to her friends after the course was over. She only had about a week left of free time before she had to start her course, but she was looking forward to it.<p>

Gaara came over to her apartment on Saturday, knocking on her door at ten am. She answered, fully dressed and eager to get the day started.

"I can see you're ready," Gaara commented, eyeing her outfit. She was wearing a one-strap blue shirt with skinny jeans.

"Y-yes. I-I made the hair appointment, so it's at eleven," Hinata confirmed. She had looked up some photos of the style she wanted.

They headed downtown again. Hinata was already becoming familiar with the area. Other than the incident that had happened her first day here, it was a very nice place. The architecture was something she would never see in Konoha. Konoha was more modern, whereas Suna still had some old buildings up from the 18th century. She took a few pictures of them with her digital camera.

The time for her appointment arrived soon enough. Gaara waited patiently with her, talking to both her and the hairdresser to ease the awkwardness. Hinata wasn't much of a social butterfly herself, so having Gaara there broke any silences that she was sure would have occurred had she come here alone.

When it was finished, Hinata loved it. Her hair wasn't too different, but there was obviously layers now instead of the straight same-length hair she always had. The layers added more volume, depth and bounce.

"You look good," Gaara complimented her when they left the store.

"A-arigato, I like it, too," Hinata agreed.

"Now where?"

"I-I am kind of hungry."

They ate lunch in a small restaurant, then headed to the beach where they spent almost all of the day. Hinata took a few pictures of Gaara, then of her and Gaara being silly together. She didn't post them online yet for fear of Naruto's reaction. She would post them later.

At sunset, Gaara drove her home.

"I had a nice time today," he said as he walked her up to the door of her apartment.

They reached her apartment. Hinata turned to face him. "S-so did I," she smiled shyly.

Gaara reached out to brush his fingers along her cheekbone. "Hope to see you again on my next day off. I work tomorrow and have Monday off."

The feeling of his fingers on her cheek gave her goosebumps. She hadn't had a boy touch her like this before, besides Naruto's kiss...

"S-sure, sounds good."

Gaara dropped his hand. "See you then."

Hinata nodded. "S-see you."

Again, she did the same thing she did every night, only this time, she talked to Sakura. She had to confide in a girl friend for some things.

**Hey, Sakura.**

**Oh hey, Hinata. How's life in Suna?**

**Pretty good. I hung out with Gaara today.**

**Oooh. We need to see pictures of him.**

**I'm not sure Naruto would like it.**

**He'll get over it. He still goes on about how he's coming down there soon. You and Gaara are just friends, right?**

**Well...I'm not so sure.**

**What? Do tell.**

**Today he took me to my apartment, and just outside the door, he touched my cheek.**

**OMG. He's so into you.**

**Really?**

**Usually guys aren't so bold like that unless they are into you, and if they think that you return the feelings. He wouldn't do that if he thought you two were "just friends".**

**But we've only known each other for nearly a week.**

**He probably grew attached to you. Do you talk everyday? And hang out when he's off work?**

**Yes.**

**That's why. Maybe he hasn't had a companion like you in a while. **

**But...I'm not sure I feel the same way.**

**It's because of Naruto, isn't it? Everyone here knows you love him. We can just tell. But Naruto is too dumb to see it.**

**Well, I didn't tell anyone this, but...a couple months ago...Naruto kissed me.**

**WHAT?**

**Yeah. But it was only for a second, and then Kiba interrupted us just as Naruto was about to say something. I never found out what he wanted to say.**

**Girl, maybe you should show Gaara you just want to be friends. Don't respond to his flirting. Just act calm and natural. Whatever you do, don't flirt back, even if you're joking. Guys think anything is flirting. Even if you look at them the wrong way, they think you're into them.**

**Thanks, Sakura. Do you think Naruto will really come here and stay with me?**

**He wants to, I can tell. And when he wants something, he's determined enough to get it. So who knows, he just might.**

**I hope so, maybe then Gaara won't try to date me.**

**That would be a bonus. **

**I should get some sleep, night Sakura. Thanks again.**

**Don't worry about it. Goodnight. Watch out for Gaara.**

Hinata wasn't really tired, so she laid in bed for a while, thinking. If Gaara liked her, it was way too soon to start a relationship and besides, she lived in Konoha, she was only here for the summer. If the relationship lasted, it would end up being long distance because she had no idea when, or if, she would be back here again.

She realized she'd better stick to Sakura's plan of ignoring any signs that Gaara gave her that he might like her. She couldn't afford to have a summer romance now. She had to concentrate on school, and keep her friendship with Gaara. It was easier to be friends over long distances than lovers. She only hoped Gaara wouldn't be too put out by her not responding to his flirting.

With those thoughts in her mind, she drifted off to sleep.


	3. Confused Feelings

**Astrocam: Sorry for the long wait, but I am free of school now, it's summer vacation for me :) Well, besides work term, but that won't take up a lot of time...unless I manage to get a paying job as well, then I'll have two jobs. Lol sigh...the life of a poor college student. Anyway, there is a bit of Gaara/Hinata fluff in this one ;) So I hope you like it :) I'll try not to make you wait as long for the next one. **

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Three – Confused Feelings<strong>

* * *

><p>A few weeks later, Hinata had started her course and was enjoying it. She was slowly getting to know her classmates, but hadn't bonded with anyone yet. It usually took her a while, which was why it surprised her that she had bonded so quickly with Gaara. Maybe it was because of the situation in which they had met, as it had forced them together.<p>

Her and Gaara were now good friends, they talked every night and hung out whenever they could. Hinata learned that Gaara didn't have a girlfriend. He didn't make anymore "flirty" moves on her. She was just as glad, that meant she wouldn't have to tell him no.

Naruto had also landed himself a full time summer job. He told her as soon as he saved enough for the flight, he would quit the job to come stay with her for the rest of the summer, and he'd look for work in Suna as well. Hinata was happy that he was doing all of this for her. Maybe he wanted to be more than friends, maybe he realized that he'd left things unexplained and wanted to tie up the loose ends, which was something he just couldn't do over the phone.

Hinata only hoped.

She let her mind wanted to one of the many fantasies she had about Naruto. They were alone together in her apartment, their first night. Naruto confessed that he wanted to be with her, and they made love...

Hinata shook her head, but couldn't help the dirty thoughts from piling in. Her and Naruto had never gone any farther than that peck on the lips he had given her. She was a virgin, saving herself for someone special...Naruto (she hoped). It didn't necessarily have to be until marriage. She just didn't want to give herself up to every guy who was interested in her. So if her and Naruto worked out, she would definitely have sex with him before marriage. Because he was special to her, because she loved him.

She had been kissed by other guys who had been interested in her, but she had declined when they'd officially asked her. Most of them weren't her type, and besides, she wanted to wait for Naruto. She didn't want her first time having sex to be with someone she wasn't all that interested in.

Naruto hadn't really dated anyone, either. Girls weren't too interested in him, as they were mostly all trying to win Sasuke's attention. But Sasuke had chosen Sakura, therefore breaking the hearts of many other girls in the school. Some girls still tried, but Sasuke always refused. He hadn't cheated on Sakura, that Hinata knew of. He didn't seem like that type.

Now, Hinata was waiting for Gaara to pick her up. He wanted to take her somewhere special, so she was curious. Where was it? What...or who...was going to be there? They had explored almost all of the downtown area of Suna, so maybe it was outside of town.

He knocked on her apartment door, and she opened it quickly. "Hey," she smiled, happy to see him. She hadn't see him in a few days, as he had been busy working.

"Hello. Ready to go?"

"Y-yes!" Hinata stepped out of her apartment and closed the door behind her. She was eager to see what he had planned.

They had yet to hang out at each other's houses. Hinata was still wary about that, but she figured she would invite him to her apartment soon. Maybe the next time they hung out.

Gaara took her to a restaurant they had been to before. Hinata was a bit disappointed. What was the point of telling her he was going to take her somewhere special if it was somewhere they had been before?

He seemed to read the disappointment on her face. "I know, we've been here before. You'll see why I brought you here. Now let's take a seat."

A waiter lead them to an empty booth. Hinata started to sit across from Gaara, but he told her to sit beside him. That was weird. Hopefully he wasn't going to try and make any moves on her...

A few moments later, a familiar woman stopped beside their booth. She had chin-length brown hair, fair skin, and dark eyes. "Officer Gaara?"

"Please, call me Gaara." Gaara gave her a small smile, and Hinata's heart sank. Was this woman his girlfriend? If so, why did he want Hinata to sit beside him? Shouldn't his girlfriend sit beside him? What kind of a surprise was this? Why did she call him Officer Gaara? And why should Hinata care? They were only just friends...this feeling of jealousy surprised her.

The woman sat across from them. "I'm so glad I could finally meet you, Hinata."

_How does she know my name? Did Gaara talk to her about me?_ Hinata wanted to shed a few tears, but she forced a smile. "H-hi."

"Hinata, you obviously don't know who I am. My name is Matsuri. I'm the one you saved that day on the street, when you gave the man your packages and purse."

The memories came flooding back to Hinata now. She had done her best to push the incident out of her mind, refusing to dwell too much on it. "O-oh." she had wanted to meet the woman, but didn't think she would get to until now.

Matsuri smiled. "I know this is kind of a surprise to you, but I went back to the police office and insisted that you be contacted because I wanted to meet you. They finally told Gaara, who came to me and told me he was good friends with you now, thanks to what happened. So he arranged this meeting."

Hinata relaxed. She wasn't his girlfriend. "I-I wanted to meet you, as well," she admitted shyly.

"You're not from around here, are you?" Matsuri asked.

"N-no, I'm from Konoha."

"I've always wanted to visit there! I'm glad I met someone from there! What's it like?" Matsuri leaned across the table eagerly, so Hinata told her a bunch of stories about her friends from Konoha. While they ate, she recalled how funny Naruto is and how he wanted to come be with her for the summer.

Beside her, she felt Gaara stiffen. What was that all about?

"Ooh, so Naruto is coming to be with you? How romantic, he must obviously like you." Matsuri waggled her eyebrows as she popped a shrimp into her mouth.

Hinata blushed a little, hoping Gaara wouldn't notice. "I-I don't think he sees me as more than just friends."

Matsuri rolled her eyes."Yeah, right. Why would a friend want to leave his friends to spend the summer with you?"

That sentence sank in. Matsuri was right. Did Naruto really have...those feelings for her?

"Well I hope I get to meet him. Here's my phone number, so we can text anytime. Let me know if you want to hang out again!" Matsuri gave Hinata her phone number on a piece of paper once the three of them were outside the restaurant. "I have unlimited texting so don't worry about it costing me anything. Hope to hang out with you again, this was fun. Oh, and Gaara, thanks for setting this up."

Gaara, who had mostly remained silent through their conversation, mumbled, "No problem."

He had been downcast ever since Hinata had mentioned that Naruto was coming for the summer. Hinata wondered what that was all about. If Gaara was just her friend, he wouldn't care, right?

She hoped she wasn't getting herself caught up in one of those love triangles that everyone wrote about in books...

Matsuri smiled brightly,"Well, see ya!" and walked down the street, as if she didn't notice the tension between Gaara and Hinata.

Maybe Hinata was only imagining it. But the way Gaara remained silent during the drive home told her she hadn't been imagining it. Gaara really was jealous of Naruto.

She was getting herself caught up in a web, and Naruto wasn't even here yet.

She could only hope that his arrival wouldn't make things disastrous...

* * *

><p>Her phone rang a few weeks later. She saw that it was Naruto who was calling, and answered it quickly. "H-hello?"<p>

"Hinata! I got paid, and it's enough to buy the plane ticket!"

"R-really?" Hinata was surprised. He had only been at his job a few weeks. Then again, it had been full time, and slightly above minimum wage.

"Yep, I'm gonna put in my two-weeks notice tomorrow, and give them an excuse that they won't think I'm just running off just because I got paid."

Hinata smiled even though she knew he couldn't see her. "T-that's great. I'm sure y-you'll think of something."

"So, you and Gaara are good friends now? I heard Sakura-chan talking to Ino."

"O-oh, yes, we are good friends." Hinata didn't mind Sakura talking to Ino, she just hoped Naruto didn't hear everything. "T-that's all though," she added quickly. "I-I don't want to get involved with anyone f-from Suna, because I'm only h-here for a couple more months."

"Good. I knew you were reasonable and smart."

_I still love you, I wouldn't let anything get in the way of that,_ Hinata thought, but instead she listened to Naruto's stories of prom and how graduation went. She was sad that she'd missed it, and he told her that everyone missed her being there, but he promised to put pictures on Facebook as soon as possible. Her diploma would be sent to her father's house in Konoha.

They eventually hung up, and Hinata had to get to her afternoon class.

* * *

><p>If Naruto really was coming to see her, then she only had a few weeks alone with Gaara. She wanted Gaara to see that she still wanted to be friends with him, even if Naruto was here.<p>

So, a couple of days later, she invited Gaara to spend the afternoon in her apartment for the first time. He accepted the offer, and she was grateful. She had been worried that he wouldn't want to see her anymore since she had Naruto coming anyway.

She spent the morning tidying her place, making sure things looked decent enough to have a visitor over. She, herself, wasn't a messy person, and she didn't like walking into someone's house and seeing a bunch of clutter everywhere.

Her doorbell rang just on time. Her heart did a little leap as she anxiously rushed to get the door. She was always nervous when people came over, whether it be for the first time or the thousandth time.

"H-hello," she stammered when she saw him standing there.

"Hey."

She let him in, showed him around the place. They ended up sitting on the couch, watching TV together. They laughed at the funny shows, and Hinata found herself unconsciously inching closer to him on the couch. Ever since he had touched her face, they'd had no contact besides the occasional accidental brush of arm against arm, or leg against leg. She found herself missing it, wishing for it to happen again.

_That's crazy, you want Naruto, not Gaara,_ Hinata realized where her thoughts had taken her. She couldn't get involved with Gaara, it would only bring heartbreak when she had to leave again.

But...he made her happy.

A commercial was on. He turned to face her. She realized their shoulders were touching now, and pulled away, her face turning red.

"S-sorry," she murmured.

"No, come here." Gaara held out his arm in a gesture that meant she should come and cuddle next to him.

Against her better judgment, she couldn't pass that up, and crawled under his arm to snuggle against his chest.

She hoped he didn't get the wrong idea.

Of course, the next show to come on was a romantic one about an old couple who stayed together for 66 years. Hinata could tell how happy they were just by the way they were sitting next to each other. The elderly woman's face lit up every time her husband said her name, and he'd touch her arm with gentle strokes.

"D-do you want me to change the channel?" Hinata was aware that Gaara might not enjoy such a show, since he was a guy, after all.

"No, let's keep watching. I might learn some tips for later," he half-joked, giving her a little squeeze.

Uh oh.

Hinata was definitely very shy and wasn't able to tell him directly that she just wanted to be friends. Either it was her shyness, or the fact that perhaps she liked Gaara's attention, that she didn't want to break off the romantic connection just yet. Maybe...just maybe she could see what happens...

_No! Naruto is quitting his job and coming here for you. Maybe there's a reason, if you just wait!_ Hinata's inner voice screamed at her. She knew she would regret it if Naruto admitted he loved her, and she had to tell him no because she was with Gaara. Naruto would probably turn around and head home. She didn't want that.

While she was fighting this inner battle with herself, Gaara seemed to sense her discomfort and removed his arm from around her shoulders, then stood. "I'm going to use the bathroom. Be right back."

"O-ok," Hinata continued to watch the show while she waited for Gaara. She moved herself up into a sitting position so that he wouldn't be able to cuddle her again.

He returned moments later, sitting next to her, so close that Hinata wasn't comfortable. She ended up looking up at him, into his eyes, about to ask him to move over. Instead he planted a kiss on her lips.

She wanted to pull away, she really did. She couldn't do this to Naruto. She knew she would be devastated if Naruto found another girl while he was away on vacation.

But...Gaara tasted so good...and he wanted her. Unlike Naruto...

At first she was shocked, so she didn't respond while his lips moved against hers. He put his hand on the back of her head to pull her closer, and she opened her mouth to respond to his kiss.

Their lips and tongues danced for a while. Gaara gently pushed Hinata down on the couch so that he was laying on top of her. She could feel that he was turned on, but tried to ignore it. Making out was bad enough. Having sex would be the end of any chance she had with Naruto.

Then again...she was single. Why couldn't she do what she wanted?

She just hoped that Gaara didn't plan on getting too serious. He knew she wasn't staying in Suna forever. Why would he make moves on her knowing that? Did he just want a girlfriend for the summer?

Then she had a thought. What if Gaara didn't want Naruto around? Maybe he wanted her all to himself for the whole summer, and having another guy around would jeopardize that.

She had to end this now, she...

Gaara trailed his hand down her arm, her side, letting it rest on her waist. Along the way, it left goosebumps, making her want more. She shivered in excitement.

_This was a mistake, inviting him here...you should have waited until after Naruto arrived,_ she scolded herself, and yet her body responded to Gaara's touches.

Gaara was getting more bold as he explored her body with his hands. Hinata wasn't stopping him. She promised she wouldn't let it get any farther, because she wanted to save herself for Naruto. If Gaara tried to take her clothes off she would tell him to either collect himself or leave. She'd say that she wasn't ready for sex yet. Hopefully he would understand...

His hand was working its way back up her body. She jumped when he touched her breast.

He pulled his hand away, breaking the kiss. "Are you ok? You seem tense. Am I moving too fast?"

"I-I'm fine!" she squeaked. Of course she would say that. She didn't have the guts to tell him otherwise.

"I understand if you don't want to have sex right now. I'm sorry for kissing you like that. I just couldn't resist..." he trailed off as though embarrassed to admit something so personal.

Hinata blushed. He really wanted her that badly?

She thought about everything he had done for her over the summer so far. Thanks to him, her and Matsuri were now good friends, though Hinata had a feeling that Matsuri had a crush on Gaara. Gaara had showed no interest in her but Hinata had caught Matsuri watching him a few times with a wistful, dreamy look on her face.

Why should Hinata care? Matsuri could be with Gaara if she wanted. Hinata was waiting for Naruto...

Wasn't she?

She could easily tell Naruto not to waste his money coming to Suna since she would be home in September anyway. Her heart dropped at that idea, but it would be better than leading two boys on. She could have a summer relationship with Gaara, then break it off in September. She knew that Naruto would be surprised if she told him not to come, and he would probably guess the reason right away.  
>"I-I just...need time to sort out my feelings," Hinata finally decided to tell Gaara how she was really feeling.<p>

His expression changed from lust-filled eyes to disappointment in mere seconds, and he backed off of her, sitting up. "I'm sorry. It's Naruto, isn't it? Your friend from back in Konoha?"

Hinata nodded shyly, ashamed for getting Gaara's hopes up. "I-I'm sorry."

"I understand. You two have a past. And I know you won't be staying in Suna forever. I don't want to come between you two. If he makes you happy, then maybe I should stop seeing you altogether." Gaara stood, adjusting his shirt.

"No, Gaara, please," Hinata stood up after him, speaking clearly for the first time in a while. She only spoke this way when she was being stern or very serious. "Naruto-kun is my good friend, yes. Best friends. But you have become a very important person to me as well. He will not replace your company when he is here. You will still be able to hang out with me, and see me whenever. I'm sure you and him will get along just fine."

Gaara seemed surprised by her stern voice, but quickly collected himself. "I'm not so sure."

"Why not?"

"We both have one thing in common. We both want to be with you."

"Is that a bad thing?"

"Yes. I don't like the idea of him coming into my territory. Then again, you were his territory first. I can't interfere with that."

He was about to walk to the front door, when Hinata grabbed his arm. "So, if Naruto comes here, you will no longer be my friend?" If that was the way Gaara was, maybe she didn't want to be his friend after all. If he couldn't accept that she had other male friends.

"That is correct."

Upset, Hinata released his arm, feeling tears in her eyes. "Go, then."

Without another word, he turned, put his sneakers on, and headed outside.

Right away, Hinata texted Sakura.

**Gaara just left.**

**Why?**

**He said with Naruto coming, he doesn't want to be my friend anymore.**

**What? That's retarded. Is he jealous or something?**

**I think so. Well, we were making out. Then I told him that I need time to sort out my feelings, and he jumped to the gun about Naruto.**

**Of course, Naruto has been in your life longer and you've had a crush on him forever. If I were Gaara I would have been more understanding. Gaara's a jerk, don't hang around with him anymore. Let Naruto come and you two can have a good summer together.**

**You're right**.

Hinata didn't want to be with Gaara if Gaara was so controlling. She had just seen a side of him that she did not like at all. It made her sad, since Gaara had been a good person up until now. They had known each other for a couple of months, and besides touching her face he had never showed any other acts of intimacy towards her. It had made her comfortable to be around him.

Maybe it was for the better, so she didn't get so attached that it would make her upset by the time she had to leave Suna for good. She was already fairly attached to him, so not having his company around anymore was going to be dreadful until Naruto arrived. Even so, already the empty space left by Gaara was growing.

To try and calm herself, she went on her computer and saw that Naruto was online. He told her he had the flight booked for next week, that he was already packing his things and how excited he was to see her. It made Hinata smile. Maybe not being friends with Gaara was the best thing for now.

Sometime later, Gaara appeared online. Hinata didn't talk to him first, like normal. She decided to wait it out, because she figured talking to him would only make her upset.

To her surprise, he messaged her first.

_**Hey, Hinata.**_

_**Hi.**_

_**I'm sorry for the way I treated you today. **_

_**Ok.**_

_**I know that apologizing in person is better than on MSN but this is most convenient for me right now.**_

_**Oh ok.**_

_**So, I guess what I have to say is that I'm sorry and I promise to not be a douchebag again, especially when Naruto is here. I guess you could say I was...jealous, of the connection you already have with Naruto.**_

_**But you and I have a bond, too.**_

_**I know. I shouldn't have been so childish. It's your decision to date who you want, and if you'd rather date Naruto then go for it. I want you to be happy, even if it's not with me. **_

Hinata breathed a sigh of relief. She was glad he wasn't going to pressure her. She typed back, _**Thank you.**_

_**So, want to hang out tomorrow? I promise I won't do what I did today. I'm sorry about that, too.**_

_**It's ok. Sure, we can hang out. **__Just so long as we aren't alone,_ Hinata thought to herself.

They made plans and Hinata logged off MSN to go to bed. She hoped that when she saw Gaara tomorrow it wouldn't be awkward.


	4. Showdown

**Astrocam: Thanks again for reading :) Glad you guys like it so far. Warning, this chapter has a lemon in it, and quite a bit of drama ;) Hope you like.**

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><p><strong>Chapter Four - Showdown<strong>

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><p>It was the day before Naruto was scheduled to arrive. Hinata was excited, but also sad, because after tonight she wouldn't be able to be alone with Gaara again. The two had patched up after their fight over Naruto, and hung out whenever they could.<p>

Now, they were at her place, sitting on the couch and watching TV once again. Hinata was snuggled into his side, because now that he understood her feelings, they were able to cuddle and not go any farther. He respected her, and she was thankful. He hadn't tried to kiss her since the last time.

Gaara suddenly turned to look down at her. "Do you ever wonder what it would be like if...we could date? You know, if you had no feelings for Naruto?"

Hinata blushed, for she had thought of that often. "Y-yes. Why?"

"Just wondering. I like you a lot, you know. I'm not trying to pressure you, just letting you know. I don't have too many friends, so I got attached to you pretty fast."

"I-I know." Hinata was well aware of his feelings for her.

He pushed her away from him, but held her at arm's length. "You're beautiful. If that Naruto hurts you, then he doesn't deserve you."

Hinata could feel her face getting red again. "A-arigato."

"Just feels like there's always something standing in the way of what I want," Gaara sighed, staring into her eyes wistfully. "When I wanted to get into the police force, my siblings thought I'd be better off doing a trade or something. I had no support, so I wasn't sure if I should do what I wanted, or what they wanted. In fact they kind of laughed at me, saying I was too weak since I'm the youngest of them, and that I wouldn't be able to handle it."

"B-but you proved them wrong," Hinata pointed out.

"Exactly. I only wish I could be with you without something getting in the way. I guess I'm being selfish. I know you're going back to Konoha in a couple months. It's June already, isn't it?"

"Y-yes. T-to be honest, I think I'm going to miss it here," she confessed. She had grown fond of her little apartment. The neighbors weren't bad, she hardly ever heard a thing from them, plus it was a really nice area and within walking distance to town. The town of Suna was also something she would miss, besides the incident on her first day there.

Gaara gave a sad smile. "I'll definitely miss you. What time is Naruto going to be here?"

"H-he said his plane should land here around 9 am, depending on delays a-and such."

"So this is our last night alone, then."

"Y-yes."

"Hinata..." Gaara sighed.

"Yes?"

"Since this will be our last night alone...and who knows when I will get to see you once Naruto is here...do you think...I could have one more kiss? I thought I would be nice and ask this time." His body went tense, as if bracing for a rejection.

_Why not? What harm could a kiss do? I'm single, and I do like kissing him. Naruto doesn't need to know. He never found out about the other kisses._ She pondered for a moment before giving him an answer. "Y-yes, it's ok."

Gaara wasted no time in closing the gap between their lips. Hinata took in the familiar feeling, enjoying it much more than she knew she should, and when he traced his tongue over her bottom lip asking for entrance, she didn't refuse.

That feeling was building up inside her again the longer the kiss went on. She wanted him. No, needed him. Ever fiber of her being was screaming out for Gaara.

_It was supposed to be only a kiss! _ She tried to remind herself, but found herself ignoring the warnings in her mind. Gaara pushed her down on the couch so that he was on top of her again.

He was more bold this time, after a few more minutes of passionate kissing, he let his hands roam her body. This time, she didn't tense up. It felt...good. Almost...right, somehow. Like she was supposed to be doing this.

Hinata wasn't sure how it happened, but the next thing she knew, their clothes were off and they were in her bedroom. He was moving on top of her, touching places that had never been touched before, and Hinata was loving it. She couldn't believe she was allowing this to happen, when Naruto would be arriving in the morning. But...Gaara was making her feel amazing.

He was licking and sucking on her breasts, his hand working its way down her body, towards her entrance. She had been hesitant about letting him touch there until now, but he was making her feel so good that she finally gave in and spread her legs.

When his finger touched her sensitive area, she gripped the bedsheets. He didn't hesitate when she gasped, gently pressing his fingers in the right spots until she could take it no more and wanted him inside of her.

Gaara pulled his mouth up from her breast to speak, looking into her eyes. "I know you're a virgin, since you told me before. Do you want me to start with my fingers, since that will be less painful?"

Hinata was definitely turned on, but she took a minute to decide, then she nodded her approval.

To ease her nervousness, he kissed her passionately as he inserted his finger very slowly inside her entrance. Hinata realized she was shaking, so she tried to calm herself by focusing more on his kiss rather than the slight pain she felt down there. At first she thought, _if this is what a finger feels like, what does a penis feel like? How can sex be enjoyable if it hurts?_

She almost had Gaara stop. She was losing the adrenaline rush of being turned on, mostly due to the pain. _I'm no longer a virgin._ That thought was kind of scary to her.

However, Gaara calmed her by breaking the kiss and whispering soothing words in her ear. "You'll get used to it, it's ok, you just need to relax. Stop being so tense."

Hinata closed her eyes while Gaara worked his finger inside of her. Soon enough, the pain lessened slightly.

Suddenly, his finger hit a spot that caused her to grip the bedsheets tighter.

He grinned. "That's your g-spot. The spot that makes you feel good. Does it still hurt?"

"A-a little," she admitted shyly.

"I'll try two fingers. I just want you to be ready for when we actually do it." Gaara again taking his time, gently inserted another finger.

After a while of this, Hinata was even more turned on than she had been with his fondling her breasts. She was beginning to get used to the feeling of his fingers inside of her. Luckily she hadn't bled when her hymen broke, as Gaara had taken his time. She was breathing heavily, when she finally murmured a few minutes later, "I-I'm ready."

Gaara stared into her eyes the whole time as he crawled on top of her. She reached a hand down to help guide him towards her entrance...it was her first time touching a penis. It felt...oddly rock-hard, yet so soft, a bit wrinkly and somewhat slimy since Gaara had already pre-cummed due to being turned on by what he had done to her.

He gave her a kiss before slipping inside of her.

The sensation was unlike anything Hinata had ever experienced before. He was slow, as he had been with his fingers, but each time he pushed into her, she dug her fingernails into his back with pleasure. Thanks to his fingers, it barely hurt at all.

"God, Gaara..." she murmured, arching her back the deeper in he went.

"Does it hurt?"

"N-no..."

"Good." He closed the gap between her lips, kissing her with such fervor that she was surprised at how much he wanted her, needed her. As he was kissing her, he thrust the final inches into her. She gasped into his mouth.

After a few moments of getting him settled inside of her, she gave him the go-ahead to pump a little faster. At first she let him do most of the work, but soon she found that she had a hard time just laying there, so she began to meet his hips with her own, pushing him in even deeper.

"Gaara..." she said his name multiple times the faster he went.

"Hinata, you're so fucking sexy," he tangled his hands in her hair and tugged on it, not enough to cause her pain but enough to make her want more.

Suddenly, her world crashed under her feet when her bedroom door slammed open, and a familiar voice yelled, "Hinata, I'm – oh my fucking God..."

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><p>Both Gaara and Hinata went still as a deer in headlights, just as Gaara had been about to deeply thrust into her. Hinata saw Naruto in the doorway, his mouth gaping open, hurt visible on his face. In fact, he looked pissed. Pissed enough to kill someone.<p>

It didn't take Naruto long to get over the speechlessness. "What the fuck...I thought you said you weren't dating him! You lied to me!"

"Dude, get the fuck out of here!" Gaara yelled , trying to cover him and Hinata up with a blanket. "You weren't supposed to come until tomorrow!"

"Well, that was a lie...I wanted to surprise Hinata...I'll explain when you get your clothes on..." Naruto turned on his heel and slammed the bedroom door shut. Hinata could hear him stomping down the hall towards the kitchen.

The confrontation had only just begun, and Hinata was already in tears as her and Gaara got dressed. Gaara whispered soothingly to her, trying to calm her, but nothing would help her feel better now.

They finally stepped out of the room, both in a somber mood, Hinata with silent tears falling down her cheeks. Gaara took her hand as they went out to the living room to where Naruto was sitting on the couch. Hinata didn't pull her hand away.

Naruto just glared as the two of them sat down on the far side of the couch away from him. Since it was the only piece of furniture in the room, it was all they had to work with.

Hinata saw his bags had been dropped at the front entrance before he'd walked in on her and Gaara. She hoped she hadn't screwed things up, but inside she knew she had.

Gaara broke the awkward silence, looking at Naruto. "Now, let's start with why you arrived here in Suna now instead of in the morning like you were supposed to."

"I told Hinata that I was coming tomorrow, but I had already planned to come tonight. I wanted to surprise her. This was all planned by me, Hinata had no idea. She gave me her apartment number and I just got a taxi over here from the airport. I knocked on the door, no one answered. I made sure I had the right apartment number, and I knew I did. I waited a while and no one came out, so I decided to check and see if maybe she had headphones on or couldn't hear me for some reason. I opened the door, no one was in the living room. So, I thought maybe she was sleeping. I decided to wake her and knew she'd be shocked. Instead, I got the shock." He said all this with malice dripping from his voice.

Gaara looked at Hinata, and spoke in his police officer voice. "You should look your door."

"I usually do, but I didn't t-this time because you were w-with me."

"Fair enough."

"So, officer Gaara," Naruto sneered. "What's it like, banging the woman I was about to ask to become my girlfriend?"

The words hit Hinata like a slap to the face. She cringed, tears pouring out of her eyes like a waterfall now. She was openly sobbing in front of two boys and she didn't care.

"Shut up, asshole. How the hell was she supposed to know that you were going to ask her? Did you show her any signs? Probably not. You were just her friend so you can't control what she does, or who she dates, or who she fucks!" He put his arm around Hinata, bringing her close to him as if to protect her from Naruto.

"Ok, you're asking for it. Let her go."

"Why? You going to take on a police officer? I can have you arrested for that."

"You're not on duty now, wiseguy."

"I can still report assault. And trust me buddy, you'll get charges up the asshole."

"I don't fucking care."

"It would be one thing if you were actually dating her, I'd understand. But now, you guys are just friends!"

"I was practically dating her. I spent all this money to spend half of my summer with her here, and she wanted me here! She's my best friend who I've known for a long time! At least...she was."

"N-Naruto-kun..." Hinata said so quietly that she knew he wouldn't hear. She was still sobbing into Gaara's chest.

"Stop treating her like dirt! I love her -"

"You've known her all of two months, how the fuck is that love? Try five fucking years, jerk."

"You didn't make the first move on her, you were too dumb to see how much she loved you."

"N-Naruto-kun..."

"Hah! She loves me, not you."

"Then why did she fuck me then?"

"LET HER GO, FUCKER!" Naruto screamed, startling Hinata so badly that she pulled away from Gaara and buried herself in the couch. He stood up in a defensive position as Naruto charged at him, tackling him to the floor.

Hinata didn't want them to hurt each other. It was all her fault, not theirs. She had gotten them into this mess. Naruto was definitely over-reacting, but she was sure she would do the same if she made all those sacrifices for him only to walk in on him having sex with a girl who he'd said was only his friend.

In a burst of courage, she wiped the tears from her eyes, stood up and yelled as loud as she could, "STOP!"

Naruto, who was on top of Gaara and about to pummel him in the face again, stopped his hand from hitting his face and sat up on him, looking at Hinata in disbelief. The normally quiet, timid girl had actually shouted at him for once in her life. She really had changed from when she had left Suna. He couldn't get over the difference in her.

"Please, just stop. This isn't either of your faults. It's mine." Hinata reached a hand down to help Naruto up off of Gaara. He accepted, and stood up, but didn't let go of her hand.

Gaara stood up on his own, rubbing his cheek where Naruto had punched him. It was going to leave a mark.

Hinata waited until they both were sitting down on the couch. She stood in front of them, wanting them to hear her out. Maybe they could get past this.

"To Naruto: I really am sorry that you had to witness that. I am sorry that I hurt you. But, Gaara was right when he said you didn't show any signs that you liked me. When you kissed me that day, I was going to confess, but then Kiba interrupted. I thought when you kissed me, it meant you wanted to be with me. But when you ignored me for those two months after the kiss, I kind of gave up hope."

"I was going to confess to you too then Kiba interrupted. And I wasn't ignoring you, I was sorting out my feelings, trying to decide if I wanted to take this past friendship or not risk ruining the friendship," Naruto explained hastily.

Hinata nodded. "I understand now, but I didn't then. That's why when I moved here and met Gaara, at first I thought Gaara and I were going to be just friends. I was determined to wait for you. But the more I saw Gaara, the more I fell for him. I just didn't realize it until tonight."

Naruto snorted. "Obviously."

"Jerk, let her finish," Gaara snapped.

Hinata sighed and just kept going. "I really care for you Naruto-kun, but you made me wait too long. You are a huge part of my life, if I lost you I wouldn't know what I would do."

"I feel the same about you, but I want to be with you," Naruto sighed wistfully. The anger seemed to be gone now, only replaced by sadness. Hinata could almost feel his heart breaking. She felt the same way.

But she kept her composure. "I'm sorry, but it may be too late for that."

"What will you do when you move back to Konoha? By then I might not want to be with you anymore, and long distance relationships are hard," Naruto pointed out.

Hinata sighed, the fight was draining out of her and she was getting tired. "I know. We'll see about that when the time comes. For now..." she trailed off, taking a seat beside Gaara and holding his hand. "...this is who I want to be with. I'm sorry, Naruto-kun."

"I guess this was a wasted trip, huh?" Naruto sighed, the fight was gone out of him too.

Hinata shrugged. "Not really. You could spend a couple of weeks here, and see the sights with us."

"It would be awkward, and since you and Gaara are dating, where would I sleep? I'm sure Gaara doesn't trust me around you."

Gaara spoke up. "You could stay at my place, we have a guestroom. No parents either, so I don't have to ask permission."

Hinata was surprised that Gaara had made this offer, since Naruto had just been on the ground beating him up. Maybe this summer would work out after all...

"Either way, I don't care. I'm tired, and I want to get some rest. I don't know if I will leave tomorrow or stay, but I need time by myself to compose myself and think," Naruto stood up, stretching and yawning.

"I understand. How about for tonight we all stay here, at my place?" Hinata gestured at her apartment. "Naruto can sleep on the couch."

"I'll take it," Naruto decided instantly. "If you guys go in the bedroom I'll be able to think about what I want to do."

Hinata and Gaara stood up as well. Gaara put a hand on Naruto's shoulder. "I'm sorry," he said quietly.

Surprisingly, Naruto just shrugged. "I waited too long, now it's your turn. Make her happy."


	5. Stay

**Astrocam: I have realized it has been almost two months since I last updated. Sorry -_- I definitely lost inspiration for a while. Will try to finish this story, I promise. **

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><p><strong>Chapter Five - Stay<strong>

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><p>"I'm staying."<p>

The announcement that Naruto made during breakfast the next morning shocked Hinata. She had expected him to grab his bags, call a taxi and head back to the airport. Her and Gaara had not had sex again that night, mostly out of respect for Naruto. They had kept their clothes on, only talking then falling asleep, cuddling. Hinata was happy she had made the decision to keep Gaara, although she was worried that she would be unable to leave Suna when the time came.

"Really?" Gaara also sounded surprised. "Are you sure?"

Naruto yawned. "Might as well. I spent the money on this trip, I shouldn't let it go to waste."

Hinata smiled. Perhaps her and Naruto and Gaara would all be good friends. "I-I'm glad you made that decision, Naruto-kun."

"I'll stay for a couple of weeks, not the rest of the summer like I was planning to."

"S-still, it's better than packing up and l-leaving today."

"True."

"Are you going to stay at my house?" Gaara offered again. "You can, it would be free. Like I said, we have a guestroom and we'll let you have your privacy, meaning we won't barge in or anything."

Naruto nodded, his sun-kissed blond bangs falling over his forehead. That used to make Hinata tingle because she loved when his hair was messy, but now it didn't seem to affect her. Perhaps she was over her five-year-long crush.

When they were finished breakfast, Hinata decided to go with them to Gaara's house so that Naruto could drop off his things and they could go exploring. Once that was done and Gaara had introduced them to his siblings (mentioning Hinata as his girlfriend, this made Naruto angry but he didn't retaliate), they headed down to the beach.

"I've got to use the washroom, I'll be right back," Gaara said about an hour later.

Then, it was Hinata and Naruto. Alone again.

Hinata turned to Naruto. "I-I'm glad you're being so mature about this, even a-after what happened last night."

"Sorry. I was upset and hurt, as you know. You probably would have reacted the same way if situations were switched. Basically I was coming here to tell you that I wanted to date you, and then I found you...with someone else." He cringed at the memory.

"I-I'm sorry," Hinata whispered.

"It's not your fault, I should have told you sooner," Naruto sighed, running his hand through the sand. "I didn't realize how you felt about me until it was too late. Like you, I was scared of rejection too."

"I-I always thought you liked Sakura-chan, s-so that's why I never said anything," Hinata admitted. It felt good to get this off her chest, even if it was too late.

He shrugged. "I did like her, when I first met her. But it soon became obvious to me that she only cared about winning Sasuke over. When she did win him over, that broke my heart. But it didn't take me long to realize that I wasn't meant to be with her, me and her wouldn't have worked as a couple. Then I focused on you more."

"S-so you only started liking me when Sakura-chan went with S-Sasuke?" Hinata was slightly offended. Was she second-best in Naruto's eyes? She probably was now.

"I'm not good at this talking stuff. No, I kind of knew in my heart that I'd always liked you. I just wasn't sure what I wanted, or who I wanted. I needed some time to make sure that I was doing what was best for me, you and Sakura. And Sakura dating Sasuke kind of confirmed that one for me."

Hinata decided she shouldn't be too hard on him. He was never one for deep conversations, but when he did he always seemed to stumble on words. "I-I understand. I-I hope you don't hate me, Naruto-kun. I still care for you a-a lot."

Naruto looked at her and gave her a sad smile. "I don't hate you. I never will. I wasn't dating you so I can't choose for you who you date."

Hinata smiled back. "I'm g-glad. I know this got m-messed up. And I'm not sure about what will happen when I-I leave Suna. I just don't want to think about that r-right now. I still have a couple of months here."

Gaara returned just then. "Sorry, did I interrupt anything?" he asked, sitting down on the other side of Hinata.

"N-no." Hinata took his hand and sighed. Naruto just glared at their hands clasped together but didn't say anything more.  
>The rest of the day was slightly awkward, but Hinata got Naruto to open up a bit to Gaara even if he still hated him. They hung out at the beach for a while before deciding to call it a day. Naruto headed over to Gaara's place, while Gaara decided to stay the night with Hinata, to give Naruto a break, but also to spend time with Hinata.<p>

Hinata and Gaara were in her bed together, arms around each other, fully clothed. "I'm sorry for this mess I caused," he murmured, stroking her hair behind her ear.

"Don't w-worry about it."

"I feel bad, for coming between you two. Before I got too attached to you, when you first started talking about him, I could tell you really liked him. The way your eyes sparkled and your cheeks flushed when you talk about him. Now I noticed you do the same thing, but to me."

At that, Hinata felt her cheeks turn red.

"See?" he smiled, pressing his lips to hers lightly then pulling away. "You're so beautiful."

Naruto hadn't said anything like that to her. She was curious how Naruto would have acted had he become her boyfriend. Would it be awkward? Would it be romantic? Would it be more like one of those situations where she ended up leaving him because they were better as friends?

She felt bad because the two girls Naruto had had a crush on (herself and Sakura), got taken away from him by someone else. What could she do though? Naruto had waited too long on both parts.

"You're thinking about him aren't you?" Gaara asked, though it was more of a statement than a question.

"Y-yes. I-I just feel bad, because the same t-thing happened to him before with another one of our friends."

"She dated someone else before he could ask her?"

"Y-yes."

"Oh. Well..." Gaara took a deep breath, then let it out slowly as though contemplating something big. "What would you say if I told you that, you could leave me and be with Naruto? I know you need to return to Suna in the fall..."

Hinata was already shaking her head. "I-I've already made my decision. I'm s-staying with you. I don't want to think about w-what will happen in the fall."

"Can't say I didn't try," Gaara brushed his hand across her cheek. "I just want you to be happy."

"I am."

"Good." Gaara brought his mouth to hers again, this time kissing her passionately.

The fever hit Hinata again and she pressed her body against Gaara's, running her hands down his back. All thoughts of Naruto were pushed to the back of her mind as Gaara reached his hand up her shirt to touch her breasts. She sat up to lift her shirt off of her, then remove her bra. She stayed sitting up as Gaara took off his shirt as well, then massaged her breasts with his hands.

"Gaara," she gasped when he brought his mouth down to her swollen nipple and started licking. Her body tingled. She wanted more.

She grabbed the back of his head in ecstasy, pulling his hair a little bit the more he sucked on her nipples. One of his hands massaged her other breast while the other supported her back.

Then, to her surprise, he pushed her down roughly onto the bed on her back, planting his mouth on hers again while reaching down to tug on her jeans. She removed them quickly, tossing them on the floor. He did the same with his jeans, so they were both naked.

"Mmmm," he mumbled into her neck, biting her there.

"Oh God," she sighed. He trailed his hand down her body to her entrance and shoved in one of his fingers. This time, she wasn't quite as tight, and it wasn't as painful for her. She enjoyed his fingers, but wanted something more.

Instead of letting him finger her, she boldly took hold of his penis and placed it just outside her entrance. He looked her in the eyes for assurance, and she nodded. So he pulled his finger out, thrust his body forward, and in one smooth motion, he was inside of her.

The rush felt amazing. Hinata trembled, shaking with adrenaline as Gaara pumped into her. She responded by thrusting her hips up to meet his, forcing him deeper into her.

She cried out when the orgasm hit her. He pulled out seconds before he shot his cum onto her stomach. He rolled over so that he was now lying beside her on his back, out of breath.

It took a few moments for Hinata to speak. "I-I love you," she murmured.

Gaara turned on his side so that he was facing her. "I love you, too. I should clean you up now so we don't get the bed messy."

They got cleaned up, put their pajamas on and laid next to each other, basking in the aftermath of their love-making. That is, until Hinata's phone beeped, signaling she had a text message. She reached over to the bedside table to retrieve her phone and read the message.

**Sakura: Hinata, call me right now, I have some huge news!**

Hinata wondered what was so big that Sakura could possibly want her to call her at this hour. "S-Sakura-chan wants me to call her, hang on," she told Gaara. He wrapped his arm around her stomach while she dialed Sakura's number.

Sakura picked up right away. "Hinata, oh my God! Sasuke just asked me to marry him!"

"N-no way! When?"

"Like, ten minutes ago! It was so romantic, my ring is beautiful, you have to check it out on Facebook! He even applied to the same college I'm going to...and guess what, he got accepted! I didn't even know he was doing that until he told me he got accepted! He wants to start his life with me and get married next month! I'm dying Hinata, oh my God! I almost fainted when he asked me but I managed to say yes!"

Hinata smiled. "I-I'm happy for you. I will look at it in a few minutes and c-comment on it when I do."

"We're even going to have the wedding in Suna because it just looks so beautiful there...we did a Google search. I want you to be my maid of honor and Gaara will be one of Sasuke's groomsmen. If he wants to. I have so much planning to do, we want to have it before we start college. I wish you were here so you could help me."

"D-do you have a date? And I'm honored t-to be your maid of honor."

"I want to have it August 20th. That'll give me a month and a half to plan. I know most weddings are planned over a year or two, but this was really sudden and we have school in two months. I've already called Naruto, you should have heard him, he was ecstatic. He's going to be Sasuke's best man, and you're going to be my maid of honor."

Hinata was a little worried about that idea, and then having Gaara as one of Sasuke's groomsmen... she only hoped this wedding didn't turn out to be a disaster. Instead, she asked, "C-can you afford it?"

"Of course, we've both been saving up our money from our part-time jobs that we've had for a while and my parents will help out. Plus Sasuke still has money from...you know. I don't want to put a damper on things by mentioning that."

Sasuke's parents had died when he was just eight years old, and he had been living with a guardian since, until he recently turned eighteen and could be on his own. Sasuke's parents had had a lot of money, and most of that went to him and his older brother, Itachi. Itachi had used the money to move away and never bothered with Sasuke anymore. Sasuke was bitter, but he had moved on from the past thanks to being with Sakura. She had basically changed him from hating everything and being cold-hearted, to a loving, caring person, but still with that aloofness that made him so desirable.

"I-I know," Hinata said in reply to Sakura's comment. "I-I'll go look at your pictures on Facebook." She sat up, then slid off the bed and headed to her computer, Gaara following her. She clicked on Facebook and immediately, pictures of Sakura's ring popped up, with several "likes" and comments. The very first one was from Naruto.

**Naruto: Sakura-chan, you won the heart of the teme, how do you feel?**

**Sakura: It was easy. Just required lots of tomatoes. (his favorite food)**

**Naruto: LOL**

**Ino: AHHH SAKURA OMGOMGOMGOMGM**

**Tenten: If only Neji would think of the same thing. **

**Neji: I can see these comments, you know. Good choice of ring, Sasuke.**

**Chouji: I hope there's lots of chips at the wedding. Looking forward to the buffet...er, I mean, seeing you and Sasuke get married of course.**

**Rock Lee: Ahh, Sakura-chan, I guess I didn't work hard enough to win your youthful heart. Oh well, next time! Congratulations!**

**Kakashi: Well done, you two. It's about time. **

**Shikamaru: How troublesome, weddings are so difficult and stressful to plan. Good luck and congrats :)**

Hinata giggled as she read the comments. Typical of her Konoha friends. She added her own:

**Hinata: I'm honored to be your maid-of-honor. I will help you plan over the internet for sure, since I can't be there right now. Congratulations :) **

"Oh, they asked you to be o-one of Sasuke's groomsmen, if you're i-interested," Hinata turned to Gaara after she was finished typing her comment. "Naruto will be his b-best man."

"I'll do it, since you're going to be the maid of honor," Gaara agreed. "Tell her that I will."

"A-awesome." Hinata then typed a second comment:

**Hinata: PS...Gaara also agreed to be one of Sasuke's groomsmen. **

Her phone vibrated instantly, and she saw that it was Naruto. Of course. He had probably seen her comment.

**Naruto: WTF? Gaara is one of Sasuke's groomsmen?**

**Hinata: Yes, do you have a problem with that?**

**Naruto: Not my fault if the wedding gets ruined. Just saying.**

**Hinata: Why would it get ruined?**

**Naruto: I might snap.**

Hinata hadn't thought of that. What if it was too much for Naruto to be in the same room with two girls he had cared about, both of who had left him for someone else, and one of those girls was marrying said boyfriend? She typed a mature reply back.

**Hinata: Well, don't ruin Sakura-chan's big day because of your hurt feelings. If you think you can't handle it, don't come. Or at least, come to the reception where you won't see us much. Because I'm going.**

**Naruto: Oh, I'm going to be Sasuke's best man no matter what. See you and lover-boy tomorrow.**

She didn't answer him after that smart remark he made about Gaara being her lover-boy. She shut off her Facebook and her and Gaara went back to her bed.

Once again, it didn't take long for their clothes to come off. Hinata wanted to forget about Naruto's drama for the moment and just focus on being happy with someone who truly cared about her. After Naruto's rejecting her many times when they were friends, she figured she deserved to have some happiness in her life.

Gaara was on top of her, kissing her ear, when he murmured, "Ready for round two?"

* * *

><p>The next couple of weeks passed without too much incident. Naruto and Gaara got along well enough despite the situation. Hinata was pleased with Naruto's maturity. He really had grown up after all he'd gone trough. Gaara was being mature as well, and Hinata was grateful that he had offered to let Naruto stay at his place for free.<p>

On Naruto's last day, however, Naruto had come to say goodbye to Hinata. Gaara was at work, plus Naruto had told her that he wanted some time alone with her before he had to catch his flight the next morning.

They were sitting side by side on the couch. Hinata could feel his warmth next to her, but he was respecting that she was taken, and kept his distance.

At least, until he turned to face her and said, "I want to kiss you."

She gaped at him. "I-I can't...you were doing so good up until now..."

"It would be harmless. I'm not going to ask you to dump Gaara for me. You don't have to tell him about it. I won't see you for another month and a half, he has you to himself for the rest of the summer. Who knows, if you decide to stay here, I may not see you for forever. Well, besides at Sakura-chan's wedding of course."

Hinata couldn't do it. She couldn't betray Gaara. "No, Naruto-kun," she said firmly.

Naruto shrugged. "I understand. Thought I'd try. Is Gaara coming over tonight after he's off work?"

Hinata relaxed...at least he had asked, rather than forcing it on her. "No, he knew that I'd want to spend time with you before you left. Besides, he works until ten anyway."

"Ouch, rough shift."

"Yeah, he's been working since nine in the morning. He's still got five hours to go." Hinata had to admit, she missed Gaara while he was at work.

"I couldn't work a job like that," Naruto commented.

"Me e-either."

Sighing sadly, Naruto scooted over so that he was close to her. "I'm sorry I messed things up between us. I should have told you sooner, instead of avoiding you after I kissed you."

"I-it's all right." Hinata wondered what it would have been like had he confessed to her.

"Do you want to play video games?" Naruto had brought his Wii, and they had played games since he'd been here.

"S-sure," Hinata hoped that would distract him so he wouldn't try to kiss her.

Luckily, that seemed to work. Hinata had a blast playing video games with Naruto for the rest of the night. That was, until they were about to go to bed.

Naruto changed into his pajamas in her bathroom, then came out to the living room to find that Hinata had already changed.

"Can I...sleep with you? In your bed, tonight?" Naruto asked her.

Hinata blinked. She wasn't sure if she liked that idea, then again it would be their last night alone for a while. "S-sure, I guess that would be ok."

Naruto grinned. "Great. Let's go."

This was what Hinata had fantasized about ever since she had learned that Naruto wanted to come visit her in Suna. Of course, they didn't get to do that, because Hinata had chosen Gaara, and she figured it would be disrespectful. But...it was Naruto's last night. She wouldn't see him again until Sakura's wedding. And besides, as long as he didn't touch her sexually, it was harmless, right?

They snuggled under the covers, spooning. Naruto stroked Hinata's hair softly. It was relaxing, Hinata almost fell asleep...that is, until she felt Naruto's lips on her neck.

Startled, she pulled away and rolled over to face him. "N-Naruto-kun!"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I couldn't resist," Naruto looked ashamed. "I'll behave myself, I swear."

Hinata sighed. It was a kiss he wanted, she knew. Well, perhaps if she just kissed him, he'd leave her alone. She hoped her theory worked.

To his surprise, she placed her hand on the back of his head, and brought their lips together in a chaste kiss.

After a few moments, she pulled away, breathing hard. _So that's what it was like to kiss Naruto for real, and not just a peck. Wow, he was...amazing, _she thought guiltily.

"I can tell you feel guilty. Don't worry about it. It was just a harmless kiss. Nothing else will happen, I promise." Naruto wrapped his arms around her stomach, and soon they were both asleep.


	6. To Infinity and Beyond

**Astrocam: Quicker update than before I think. But, I am going away in two days for a week, so I probably won't get much writing done during the time that I'm away. Thank you to anyone who favourited, reviewed and added me to their favourites :) **

**PS: There is no lemon in this chapter, mostly just fluff. So hope you enjoy :)**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Six – To Infinity and Beyond<strong>

* * *

><p>Naruto kept his word, he didn't try anything again that night. In the morning when they both woke, they laid in bed for a while, just talking until Naruto had to get ready to leave for his flight. He had brought his bags from Gaara's to her place so he could spend his last night with her. Hinata was glad they had this closure...it meant she could be with Gaara without feeling like she had betrayed her best friend.<p>

"I'll miss you, Hinata," Naruto sighed wistfully as he stood at the door, his bags in hand. "I'll see you at Sakura-chan's wedding though."

"Y-yes, then I'll be back in Konoha after that," Hinata assured him, though she didn't like that idea.

His face brightened. "I know, it'll be great to have the gang back together again." He didn't mention anything about her leaving Gaara, which she was grateful for.

After a few moments of silence, Naruto said, "Well, I should get going now. I'll text you when I'm home."

"S-sounds good." Hinata gave him an awkward hug because he was holding his bags. "See you."

As his warmth left her arms, and he turned his back to her and walked out the door, a sense of longing followed. Hinata missed him already, and he had only been gone a few seconds. _I'll see you again, Naruto-kun,_ she closed the door behind him, then went to her living room to sit on her couch, listening to the silence that was almost deafening now that he was gone.

* * *

><p>Gaara texted her a few hours later. <strong>Hey, I'm awake now. Do you want to hang out? Is Naruto gone?<strong>

Hinata texted him back. **Yes, he's back in Konoha now, and I would love to see you.**

**Good. I'll be there in half an hour.**

**See you then.**

Hinata didn't bother to get dressed up. She was still in her pajamas, the same ones that Naruto had been cuddling her in only a few hours before. Touching the fabric of her sleeve, she lifted it to her nose, and smelled the light sent of Naruto that was still lingering. She hoped it never went away, but knew that it would with washing.

She hadn't eaten breakfast yet, but found she wasn't hungry. Which was odd, because she usually was about this time. She figured she was just moping over Naruto's leaving. Having Gaara here would make her feel better.

Gaara arrived on time, as always. Hinata loved that about him...she remembered that when her and Naruto hung out, Naruto would often be late or sometimes forget altogether and make other plans with other people. He was only ever on time a few times.

And then she felt guilty for comparing the two, but she shook it off as Gaara stepped in her apartment.

He kicked off his shoes and sat on the couch next to her, immediately wrapping his arms around her. "You look sad," he observed.

"I-I'll just miss Naruto," she admitted. No sense in hiding anything from Gaara.

He just nodded, kissing her on the top of her head. "I see."

"I kissed him." she couldn't hold it in. She was a very honest person, it was hard for her to lie, or hide things.

Gaara's body went stiff. "Why?"

"Because he wanted to see what it would be like."

"Did you do anything else?"

"No, I promise."

"I'm disappointed."

His words stabbed her in the heart, slightly. "I knew he wouldn't leave me alone," she tried to defend herself, but she knew he had every right to be hurt. She'd feel the same.

"You could have just said no."

"He it started by kissing me on my neck."

"Where were you?"

"In my bed."

"I see."

"I figured he would leave me alone if I just let him have what he wanted. And he kept his promise after he kissed me." Hinata was nervous, scared that Gaara would no longer trust her alone with another male, maybe even break up with her.

Gaara, however, was silent for several minutes. His arms were still around her, but stiff like he didn't want to be holding her at this moment. It almost made her cry. What a horrible person she had been, to give in to Naruto's wishes. She'd broken Gaara's trust, she didn't deserve to be with him anymore. But without him, she would be alone..what a stupid thing she had done. Risk their relationship for a kiss.

Suddenly, he spoke. "I forgive you."

She gaped up at him. "W-what?"

"I'm pissed, and upset, and hurt. But I can't condemn you for it. It was only a kiss, and I knew you had a connection with Naruto for a long time. Me and you might not even last after the summer. I mean, I'm hoping we will, but if it turns out we don't, then I assume you will be with Naruto." he said it so confidently, like he knew that eventually she would be with Naruto.

"G-Gaara...I care for you very deeply. I can't say I love you yet, since we only met a couple of months ago. I do feel a strong bond between us, and I would love to be with you even after I leave here. Long distance relationships a-are hard..." Hinata trailed off, feeling the tears start. "W-we only have a month and a half left together. L-let's make the best of it."

He gave her a squeeze, and his arms loosened. "We will, for sure. This will be a summer you'll never forget." He promised, kissing her on the forehead.

* * *

><p>Hinata couldn't count how many times she laughed, cried, and had sex with Gaara over the summer. It passed by fairly quickly, to her dismay. She loved every minute she was with him. She took a lot of photos, and now posted them on Facebook with no worry that Naruto was going to have a fit. Everyone was happy that she had a new boyfriend. Even her father didn't seem to mind, once he'd found out. He told her as long as she kept her marks up then he was glad that she had a social life away from home, and that she wasn't in Suna alone all summer.<p>

She did well in her course, passing it with high marks, although not quite honors. She didn't bond closely with anyone in the course, though she was fine with that. She spent some time with Matsuri as well, while Gaara was at work, or even the three of them would hang out. Matsuri was over her crush on Gaara once she knew of their status, and was eyeing Gaara's older brother, Kankurou.

Hinata envied Matsuri, because Matsuri didn't have to leave Suna in a week. Sakura's wedding was next week, then Hinata would be going home later in the week.

Her and Gaara were sitting on the beach, in each other's arms, savoring their last times together. The sun was slowly setting over the horizon. It was beautiful, as always. Hinata snapped photos every time. She was getting to be quite the photographer, and was starting to enjoy it more. Maybe she should take it up more seriously.

"I'm going to miss you," Gaara murmured, nibbling her ear.

She giggled. "I'll miss you, too. I wish I didn't have to go back for college." she sighed dreamily. She could live this moment forever.

"I really want to try the long distance thing," he admitted. "Because I really, really like you."

Hinata blushed. "M-me, too. I mean, I like you a lot."

"It's settled, then. I'm not going to see anyone else. Not that I would anyway, because I don't have much of a social life. How we met, it was fate. I don't put myself out there to meet people."

"I won't s-see anyone else either," Hinata agreed. So long as Gaara was going to be loyal, she would be, too.

"If you decide you want to date Naruto after a while of being home, then don't be afraid to tell me. I won't hate you. I understand, after seeing you guys together those two weeks he was here. I saw the bond you had. I'm glad it wasn't ruined by me." He gave her a squeeze. "Oh, I have something for you."

Blinking, Hinata broke from their embrace and turned to face him. She was surprised. "R-really?"

"Yes. For passing your course, and for being an amazing girlfriend." Gaara smiled, reaching his hand into his pocket.

Hinata's heart sped up a thousand times. Was this how Sakura felt when Sasuke had proposed to her? But Gaara wouldn't propose this soon...would he? Besides, she had school for another year and couldn't make any of those kinds of commitments yet...

Instead of a small, square box like she had half-anticipated, he handed her a small rectangular box that could only hold something like a necklace. Excited (and relieved that it wasn't an engagement ring), she opened it to find a delicate, silver necklace and the charm was in the shape of a horizontal figure eight, with the chain connecting at either side. At first she was a bit confused. Then when Gaara saw the confused look on her face, he quickly explained, "It's the symbol for infinity."

It clicked into place, then. She felt herself tearing up as she held the necklace in her palm. "I-it's beautiful."

"I'll help you put it on." he took the necklace from her and she turned her back to him so he could clasp it around her neck.

Once he was finished, she turned back to face him, throwing her arms around him.

He whispered, "I will love you, to infinity and beyond."

* * *

><p>Although Hinata was dreading her final days in Suna, she was excited to see her Konoha friends again and introduce them to Gaara. Sakura's wedding was scheduled for August 20th at one PM, and the reception would be held at eight PM. However, Sakura, her parents, Naruto and Sasuke would be flying to Suna the day before the wedding, which was today. Sakura only invited about twenty people, because she knew that not a lot of them wouldn't be able to make it to Suna. She pretty much told them, that anyone who could get a driveflight to Suna would be able to come, and twenty people answered positive. Sasuke even offered to pay for Naruto's way since he had already been to Suna and used up most of his summer job money. Sakura also told the ones who couldn't make it that she would have a party once she got home to celebrate.

Sakura's wedding dress was being flown up with her. The venue she chose offered to decorate for them, knowing their situation, so they didn't have to worry about decorations. Sasuke had paid them for their efforts. Altogether they had spent a thousand dollars on the wedding, not including the flights and hotels. Sakura had found her wedding dress in a good used clothing store, for only two hundred dollars. She didn't mind having a used wedding dress.

Her wedding was going to be very simple and small, but again she didn't mind. Her photographer was going to be one of her close friends, Ino, and she offered to do it for free.

Everything was going smoothly, Hinata helped Sakura plan as much as she could despite being so far away. She wished she could have gone wedding dress shopping with her, but perhaps someday she would be doing that for herself.

It was hard to believe that a few months ago, Sakura had been shopping for a senior prom dress. Now she was shopping for wedding dresses. Hinata couldn't believe how fast the summer had gone.

It was her last night alone with Gaara before Sakura, Sasuke and Naruto would be showing up tomorrow. Sakura was staying with her, while she didn't have enough room for everyone, so Sasuke, Naruto and Sakura's parents would stay in a hotel. Sakura agreed that the groom shouldn't see the bride the day before the wedding anyway, so she was fine with the arrangement. Gaara had been invited to Sasuke's bachelor party, by Naruto himself, so that was a surprise. The "party" was only going to consist of the three of them, and Hinata had some fun things planned for herself and Sakura to do.

"This is our last official night alone before you leave Suna, and before Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke and Sakura's parents get here tomorrow," Gaara sighed, stroking her hair as they laid naked on her bed after a steamy round of making love. "I'm going to miss you."

Hinata felt like crying, but she didn't want to ruin the moment. "I-I'll miss you, too." Even though she was naked, she was still wearing the infinity necklace that Gaara had given her. She only took it off when she had a shower, slept, or went swimming. But she put it on everyday before she went anywhere. She adored it.

"I'm glad that Sakura is staying with you. I wouldn't have been if Naruto was."

"You w-wouldn't have to worry about anything. Naruto said he's h-happy that we're together. But anyway, S-Sakura-chan is staying with me. I'll probably just take her around town, then maybe go to a r-restaurant and come back here and p-play games or watch movies."

Gaara nodded. "Sounds good."

Suddenly, a third voice broke the moment. "Officer Gaara, come in. Your presence is requested right away. There's a man inside a house with a gun, shooting up the place, and he has a daughter, a small girl inside..." Gaara's police radio crackled to life. It had been attached to his uniform when he'd come over after he'd gotten off work, and he was on call. When he was on call, he wasn't allowed to turn it off.

Hinata gasped. "Oh no."

Gaara immediately jumped up to grab the radio and respond. "10-4, Baki, I'll be there right away." He turned to Hinata. "I'm sorry, babe, this ruins our night but I have to go. If I'm not too late, I'll come back here for the night, I promise." he kissed her on the forehead before clambering out of the bed to change back into his uniform.

Hinata crawled out of bed as well, wrapping a sheet around herself. "T-there's guns involved?"

"Yes. I'll be safe, and return to you, I promise."

Hinata followed him out to the front door, gave him a hug and a kiss, said "I love you," and then he was gone, talking into his radio as he left.

She prayed he would come back safely. Then she decided to turn on the news to see if there was anything about the shoot out. Still wrapped in her sheet, she went to the couch, sat down and turned on the television.

The reporter was on the field, across the street from the house with the cameras zoomed in at the house. "Breaking news. As of right now, there is a shooting on Sandy Point Rd. A man is inside his house, holding a gun, with sounds of gunfire being reported. Oh, this just in, he has a little girl inside the house, holding her hostage!"

Hinata cringed when she heard shouting, and more gunfire. Then, one more police car arrived on the scene, and she saw familiar red hair.

Gaara and his partner, Baki.

The reporter wasn't on the camera anymore as most of the footage was focusing on the shoot out. Hinata watched as Gaara moved between the cars, ducking and rolling to avoid being seen by the man inside the house. Him and his partner made it to where the other officers were lying on the ground behind bushes, their guns at the ready. Gaara pulled his gun out.

The man shouted obscenities at them, while leaning through an open window. "You fucking pigs get a fucking life she's my fucking daughter I can fucking do what I fucking want with her!" The swear words were bleeped out on the television.

One of the officers shouted back, "We're not going to let you kill her! If you come quietly we'll go easy on you!" It was a bluff, Hinata knew, but hopefully the man in the house was too drunk to realize it.

There was more shouting going on, then another gun shot from the police officers rang out. This guy was getting too violent. Any second he could snap and shoot his daughter. They needed to do something.

Hinata was scared, so she texted Naruto and explained the situation. Even though Naruto was getting ready for the trip tomorrow, he talked to her and comforted her the more she updated him on what was happening.

She saw Gaara whispering something to Baki, who nodded. Then Gaara stood and took up a defensive stance. When he was sure the guy in the house wasn't looking, he bolted towards the house and pressed himself up against the wall just beside the front door. He was in arm's reach of the doorknob.

_No, Gaara, no, please, don't go near him..._ Hinata wished Gaara had stayed in the bushes. It was safer than plunging head on into this man's house.

"Oh, it seems like they're sending an officer into the house..." the reporter chimed in.

Hinata texted Naruto again. **He's going into the house! I don't want him to. I wish he had stayed in the bushes.**

**He's crazy! This is insane! And you said there's guns involved? WTF?**

**Yes. I want him to come home alive. **

Suddenly, Gaara reached out, his gun at the ready, swung open the door and rushed inside, and Hinata could no longer see him. She was sick with worry, her heart in her throat. She couldn't bear to lose him. She couldn't.

"Folks, if this goes bad we may have to cut you off and leave the area..."

Again she messaged Naruto. **He's in the house now.**

**I'm sure he will be ok, Hinata. Calm down. I wish I could be there today.**

**I know, me too.** She desperately wished he was there to comfort her while her boyfriend faced an armed opponent with a child at risk.

More gunshots rang out from inside the house. Gaara's partner, Baki, rushed towards the house and ran inside as well. Hinata was constantly praying that Gaara would be ok, and texting Naruto.

A few moments later (although it felt like hours), Baki returned with the man in handcuffs, his hands behind his back. All of the officers in the bushes stood up and immediately rushed towards the house to take the man into custody.

Hinata's heart pounded. Where was Gaara?

Seconds later, Gaara followed, one of his arms around a little girl, his other arm pressed against his side...

She knew then. He had been shot.

However, the camera zoomed out away from the action, and the reporter appeared on the screen again, a smile on her face. "It appears as though the situation has been resolved! Congratulations to the Suna Police Squad for their excellent work this evening! They have saved a little girl's life, and put another criminal behind bars. This is Suna live news reporting to you from Sandy Pt. Road, over and out."

Then, the footage cut off to a commercial.

Again she texted Naruto for comfort as she ran into her bedroom to get dressed. **He's been shot. I could see it in the way he was carrying himself after he left the house.**

**Are you sure? **

**Yes. It was too dark to tell if there was blood, but I could see he had his hand pressed against his side as if he was in pain. I'm going to the police station now.**

**Good idea. But wouldn't someone contact you if he was injured?**

**I don't know. I can't wait around for that. **

Hinata was sure that she had never moved this fast in her life. She was properly dressed and out the door in five minutes, not even bothering with make up or her hair. That didn't matter. What mattered was that she had to be there for Gaara, just as he had been there for her when she had been in shock after nearly being robbed that first day in Suna.

An odd thought hit her, then. This was her last day in Suna alone with Gaara, and he was injured. She had an encounter with a man with a gun on her first day here and Gaara had saved her.

Ironic how things worked sometimes.

She didn't want to bother to wait for a taxi. She knew where the police station was, so she half-jogged directly there. It took her about ten minutes.

Once she entered the building, she saw that the place was in a frenzy. There was a woman at the reception desk, so she brushed past other officers and approached the desk. "H-hello."

The woman looked up. "Yes, what is it?"

"I-I'm looking for a Sabaku no Gaara."

"I'm sorry, but he went on a case."

"I know, I-I'm his girlfriend."

Her eyes widened. "Oh! He's mentioned you. I believe they just finished up, and should be arriving here shortly. Have a seat over there." she gestured to the bench across the hall, so Hinata went and sat, watching the front entrance like a hawk.

About five minutes later, the front door burst open, and in walked (who Hinata assumed was) Baki, with the prisoner in tow, and the other officers who had been at the scene, all besides Gaara. One of the officers had the little girl wrapped in a blanket.

Hinata stood up to greet them. "Baki?"

He stopped walking, surprised that she knew him. "Yes?"

"Where's G-Gaara?"

"In the hospital. You must be his girlfriend. He gave me your number to call, but I have to deal with this prisoner first. Give me a few moments, please." He gave her a stiff nod and briskly walked away, the other officers at his heels.

Hinata, this time impatiently, sat on the bench. She could feel her phone vibrating like mad, probably Naruto demanding an update every five seconds, but she didn't want to tell him anything else until she knew for sure that Gaara was all right.

Finally, Baki returned, and it was just him, no other officers. They must have taken the prisoner somewhere.

"I'm sorry about that. I'll take you to the hospital right away." Baki led the way out of the station.

"Arigato," Hinata thanked him. "Y-yes, I'm Gaara's girlfriend. I-is he ok?"

"We don't know. He was shot in his side and an ambulance arrived almost immediately. I guess we'll find out when we get there. I'm worried, too. Gaara is a good rookie, and has the potential to go far in the police force. I'd promote him to corporal anyday." Baki seemed to relax as they drove, but Hinata could tell that he was sincere in his words.

She prayed several times that Gaara was going to be ok.

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><p><strong>Astrocam: I'm not sure when I will upload the next chapter, hopefully within the next couple of weeks or so. I apologize, but after Friday I will be extremely busy up until next weekend, with my going away for a week, and mine and my boyfriend's one year anniversary coming up. Thank you again for your patience :)<strong>


	7. Keeping It Together

**Astrocam: Hey guys, it's me again. I apologize for a bit of a wait, but I've been going through a lot of things in my personal life, one of them being that I'm single now. Sadly, he broke up with me a couple days after our one year anniversary. But we are still friends. So all is not lost. Anywho, hope you enjoy this chapter, it's full of drama ;) **

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><p><strong>Chapter Seven – Keeping It Together<strong>

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><p>Hinata and Baki sat anxiously in the waiting room. Baki had radioed the other officers and told them that he was staying to hear any news about Gaara. He told them he would let them know when he received an update. Hinata was grateful that she didn't have to wait there alone.<p>

Suddenly, Gaara's siblings, Temari and Kankuro, burst in the door.

"I knew Gaara shouldn't have joined the police force!" Kankuro panted, taking a seat next to Hinata.

"He's too kind. He should have just shot the man instead of trying to talk him out of it!" Temari agreed, sitting on the other side of Baki.

Baki shrugged. "Gaara didn't want to resort to violence -"

"But he only ended up getting shot! Damn him. I'm going to convince him to quit once he's recovered," Kankuro hissed.

Hinata was surprised at how protective Gaara's older siblings were, now that he was in danger. She had met them before of course, while visiting Gaara, but they had never really showed signs of siblings who cared for each other – until now. "I-I don't think he will want to quit," she spoke up quietly.

Kankuro eyed her warily. "Why not? Maybe getting shot will teach him a lesson."

"Kankuro! That's my baby brother you're talking about! Sure he should quit the police force, but he didn't deserve to get shot!" Temari snapped, reaching over Baki and Hinata to try and slap Kankuro. Fortunately for him, her arm wasn't long enough, and Baki grabbed it anyway.

"Guys, calm down.. We just need to wait for a doctor to tell us how he is." Baki spoke calmly, but Hinata could see the worry behind his eyes as well. He released Temari's arm when he was sure she wasn't going to hit Kankuro.

Temari grumbled, pulling her arm away into her lap. She was a fierce girl, Hinata observed. Cross her the wrong way, and you better not get in the path of her wrath.

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><p>After an anxious hour of waiting, a doctor came into the room. "Officer Baki?" he called, his eyes sweeping the room, but quickly caught sight of Baki, who was still in his uniform.<p>

"That's me," Baki stood. Hinata, Temari and Kankuro stood as well.

The doctor gave a small smile, which Hinata noted with relief. Perhaps Gaara was all right.

"Will you please come with me out to the hallway?" The doctor held the door open for them to file out into the hallway. He closed the door once Hinata had left the room.

"I'm Dr. Naoko, and I am happy to report that, though Officer Gaara has lost a lot of blood, he is alive and awake. He underwent a minor surgery to remove the bullet and stitch up the wound. Luckily, the bullet didn't hit any major organs."

Hinata, and everyone else, breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you, Doctor," Baki said, obvious relief in his voice.

"How are all of you related to Gaara?" the doctor asked.

"Well, I'm his partner in the force, and those are Gaara's siblings, Temari and Kankuro. Hinata, here, is Gaara's girlfriend."

Dr. Naoko nodded. "I see, you are all very close with Gaara. Well, please be patient, and visit his room one at a time. It does not matter which order. You each have fifteen minutes with him, he needs his rest for tonight. We will be keeping him overnight to make sure he recovers from the surgery nicely. If all goes well, he will be released tomorrow with strict orders to take it easy for a few days."

Hinata was glad that Gaara was going to be all right, and that he would be able to attend Sasuke's bachelor party tomorrow night, and the wedding the next day.

Temari wasted no time in making it clear that she was going to be the first to visit Gaara, so she followed the doctor down the hall to Gaara's room.

Hinata realized that she was going to be last to see him, so she sat back in the waiting room and texted Naruto with the latest update. He had messaged her twenty times since she had last told him what was going on, probably about two or more hours ago. He would be relieved to know that Gaara was going to be all right. Hinata was glad that he seemed to be over his jealousy towards Gaara, so hopefully Sakura's wedding wasn't going to be a huge disaster.

Finally, it was her turn.

She touched the necklace he had given her before she went inside his room.

It took a few seconds to adjust to his appearance. He looked so weak, with his shirt off, and his side bandaged up. He was hooked to an IV drip, and when he smiled it was small compared to his normal self.

She sat on the chair beside his bed. "H-hello."

"Hey, babe. I'm sorry," he said, reaching out to take her hand.

"You saved a girl's l-life, that's nothing to be sorry for," Hinata caressed his hand.

He shrugged. "I know, but I knew that you were watching me as I went in. I could just feel it. Besides, that annoying reporter was there, so I figured you were tuned in," he smirked weakly, then went serious again. "You didn't want me to go in there, did you?"

She shook her head. "No. I-I hoped someone else would."

"That's what I thought. No one else was stepping up. They all said they should just shoot him the next time he stuck his head out the window. I didn't want to kill a man."

"But he tried t-to kill you."

"Yeah, I know. How bad would it have made the police force look if I had killed him? Everyone would say we were just ruthless, without giving a man a chance to explain himself. As it is, cops get a bad rap in Suna."

Hinata was shocked. She hadn't known Gaara to be this shallow. "Y-you would put your life on the line for your reputation?"

He sighed. "I'm not explaining it well. All right. I talked to the man for a few minutes before he shot me. He didn't just up and shoot me."

"But he could have!"

"So what if he did?" Gaara shot back, exasperated. "At least I would have died a hero instead of being accused of killing a man ruthlessly!"

"But that's p-part of your duty!"

"But some people don't realize that."

"Who c-cares? I don't want you to die because of some s-stupid people who don't realize what police officers d-do everyday!"

Gaara rolled his eyes. "You are leaving Suna next week. You won't have to worry about me then."

Hinata pulled her hand back, surprised at his attitude. "G-Gaara-kun...I'll still worry a-and care about you...and we w-will still be together..." she hesitated. "...Right?"

"Wrong. Tell Sakura that Sasuke will have to go without me as his groomsman. It'll be uneven but I'm sure they'll figure out something. Since I've been laying here in this hospital bed, I've been thinking. I can't be in a relationship right now. I'm a police officer. You're going to worry about me regardless. I can't have that. And what if I get killed? You need someone who will be there for you all the time, for the rest of your days. I may not be."

Hinata felt her eyes tearing up. "W-what are you saying...?"

"It's over, Hinata. Go back to Konoha and be with Naruto. I saw the look of sadness in your eyes the day after he left. Your bond with him will never be broken. I had a great summer with you, but that was it. Just a summer romance." His words were harsh, and there was no sign of compassion or heartbreak on his face. Just a cold, hard stare.

There was nothing Hinata could say or do at the moment to win him back, because she was in shock, tears now falling openly down her cheeks. Instead of saying anything, she stood, unclasped her "infinity" necklace from around her neck, and started to hand it to Gaara.

He shook his head. "Keep it as a memory of a good summer you had. It's a gift. I'm tired." It was his way of dismissing her.

Hinata shoved the necklace into her pocket, and without a word, turned on her heel and left the room in tears. As she walked swiftly past Temari, Kankuro and Baki without meeting their eyes, they immediately knew what had happened.

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><p>Hinata changed her relationship status on Facebook to "single" the moment she got home, while Gaara's still said "in a relationship" because he was still in the hospital and unable to have access to a computer. But, besides that, Hinata had to prepare for Sakura's wedding. At least she would have friends and a few busy days to help her through the first week. That was always the hardest after a break up. The first week and month.<p>

Naruto and Sakura were both sympathetic, assuring her that everything would be all right and they would be there tomorrow. Hinata couldn't wait, but for now she had to spend the rest of the night in her apartment alone.

She didn't get much sleep. She ended up being awake until three am, tossing and turning with too much on her mind. The break up had been sudden and unexpected. Hours before, she had had sex with him in this bed. Then, he had broken her heart after she had worried whether he was alive or dead. How could he do this to her? They'd had a wonderful summer with little to no problems at all besides the Naruto issue.

Well, she would show Gaara. If Gaara wanted her to be with Naruto so badly, she would.

But...Gaara was her first official relationship. The first time she had really been kissed. The first time she had sex. He had taken her virginity, that was something she just couldn't (or wouldn't) forget.

In the morning, she got several notifications on her relationship status change, exclaiming "WTF" or "what happened honey I'm here for you" or "men are jerks you'll be all right". That was one thing she hated about making things public: having everyone ask about it when things went wrong.

She ended up simply typing, "I'll message you all later", and signed off, because she didn't want anything to do with the internet. She had to prepare herself for Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke's arrival.

Naruto texted her about a half hour after she got dressed. **Hey, we just got off the plane. Me, Sasuke, and Sakura's parents are heading to the hotel so we can check in, but Sakura-chan is taking a taxi so she can meet you now. **

**Sounds good, Naruto-kun. See you in a bit.**

**See you. I still can't believe Gaara was such a jerk, after you were so worried about him all night. Anyway we'll talk when I get there. **

Sakura arrived about ten minutes later, and opened her arms for a hug. Hinata fell into her arms, grateful to have a friend there finally, after spending a painful and tear-filled night alone. She wondered when Gaara would get out of the hospital and change his relationship status on Facebook, but then decided that it didn't matter. Gaara was history. Now she had to focus on her best friend's wedding.

"I'm so sorry," Sakura murmured as the two sat on the couch, sipping drinks mixed with vodka and orange juice. "Gaara really is an asshole if he thought all along that this was just any ordinary summer romance. I wonder how many girls he's done this with before."

"I-I think he told me that I was the first," Hinata explained, trying very hard not to burst out crying. "H-he told me that I should go back to Konoha and date N-Naruto."

"Don't do that, because then you'll only be doing it out of spite. If you want to date Naruto, who is still single by the way, just wait a while. Don't date Naruto only to have Gaara come back to you and confuse you even more. Make sure that Gaara really wants this to end for good."

Hinata nodded. "I-I agree. If I date Naruto-kun, I want it to be because we both want to. Not just because my ex boyfriend told me to." It still felt weird to her to call Gaara her ex, but she figured that she would soon get used to that.

Sakura smiled, patting Hinata's arm. "You've grown up a lot since you moved to Suna. You turned down Naruto for Gaara, and you're handling this break up really well. Also, you look really good. You've done something with your hair, and are wearing make up and cute clothes now."

Hinata blushed, hanging her head. She hadn't thought she'd changed at all. "A-arigato. But I don't want to ruin your wedding, so that's why I'm h-holding it together."

That's when Sakura set her drink on the coffee table to reach over and give her a hug. "You're amazing. You really don't have to do that. You can cry all you want to. In fact, I'll understand if you don't want to be in my wedding, but you can still watch it. I can get Ino to be my maid of honor, if you decide that you can't."

Hinata shook her head stubbornly while hugging her friend back. "No, I'll be f-fine, thanks for the consideration."

The two talked for a little while longer until Naruto and Sasuke burst in the door. Well, Naruto burst the door open, Sasuke just followed casually behind him.

"Hina-chan! I'm so sorry. Gaara's an asshole. Forget him." Naruto wrapped his arms around her in a bear hug. Hinata almost suffocated, turning beat red in the process as the familiar butterflies returned to her stomach. This was how she had felt around Naruto before she had dated Gaara. She realized that her and Naruto would always have this bond, no matter how many other people they would be with.

She smiled, accepting his hug gratefully, glad that he didn't hate her after what she had put him through.

They hugged for a few long seconds before Naruto pulled away, holding her at arm's length and staring into her eyes. "I swear to God, if I ever see Gaara again I'll beat his ass for real this time."

Hinata couldn't help but giggle, slightly insanely at that idea. "You have my permission." Not that she hated Gaara. She was just slightly bitter towards him for what he did. She would not protect him again if he so happened to cross paths with Naruto.

Naruto gave her a strange look, as if he was surprised she was ok with that. "You're not all right, are you?"

She shrugged. "I have to keep it together for Sakura-chan."

"Come, we're going to talk in your bedroom." Naruto grabbed her arm, then looked at Sakura and Sasuke. "You guys can do whatever you want out here."

"Have sex if you want!" Hinata suddenly burst out in a giggling fit at the idea of Sasuke and Sakura having sex in her living room. Everyone was staring at her while she broke down, but she didn't care. Naruto immediately dragged her into the bedroom, slamming the door behind him then turning to face her.

She was still giggling. Naruto grabbed her arms and shook her. "What is wrong with you? Get a grip!" he snapped, gripping her arms tightly. "Please, Hina-chan, I'm worried!"

It took a few moments, but Hinata finally stopped her giggling, still letting out a snicker here and there before calming down completely and collapsing on her bed, lying on her back. Naruto followed, snuggling up to her side, draping his arm around her stomach.

"Now, I know that you are hurt because of what Gaara did. And you're trying to hold it together for Sakura's wedding. That's really brave," he whispered, stroking her arm to sooth her.

"I-I've always had to be this way. Hide my real feelings, I mean," she looked over at him, as if trying to tell him something with her eyes.

He sighed, knowing immediately what she meant. "I know, and I wish you had told me sooner."

"I'm sorry." _Maybe being with Naruto would have saved you this trouble from Gaara,_ Hinata's mind scolded her. She had to agree though.

"It doesn't matter now. I'm not here to hook up with you. I'm here to help you recover from this. And see Sakura-chan's wedding, of course. When you come back to Suna, we'll see how things go," Naruto gave her a wink, and the butterflies returned to her stomach. He still wanted to date her? After everything that had happened?

"A-arigato, Naruto-kun," she smiled shyly, all the feelings for him came back to her in that instant. The feelings she had been suppressing when she'd been with Gaara. She realized then, that she had never been fully over Naruto. She had just put her feelings aside for Gaara's sake. Now that Gaara had broken her heart, she was allowing herself to feel these things again.

He gave her a Cheshire cat grin. "Now let's get back out there before Sakura and Sasuke get any ideas."

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><p>The rest of the day passed quickly. Some of Sakura's wedding guests arrived that night. They were staying at a hotel, but kept themselves entertained by exploring the town of Suna. They knew Sakura would be busy preparing for the wedding. Since Gaara was out of the picture, Sasuke's bachelor party would only consist of him and Naruto. So around four pm, the two of them left to go and have their party, leaving Sakura and Hinata alone in her apartment.<p>

"We should go check on the venue, and make sure everything is set up," Sakura decided. "It's not that far away, we can walk there."

"Sounds good," Hinata agreed. The venue where the wedding was being held was at a church, and the reception would be at the beach.

Hinata and Sakura walked and chatted. Suddenly, they rounded a corner just before the church and nearly ran into someone.

"Oh, sorry! Oh, it's you, Hinata."

The voice made Hinata cringe. It was Matsuri.

Matsuri crossed her arms. "I heard you broke up with Gaara."

Hinata's eyes widened. "W-what? No, he broke up with me!"

"Really? Well, that's not what Kankuro said." Matsuri eyed her.

"Kankuro wasn't in the room when it happened. Gaara broke up with me. You can have him, now." Hinata kept her ground. She wasn't going to let people push her around anymore.

Matsuri grinned. "Good. Who's your friend?"

The thought of Gaara being with Matsuri hurt Hinata, but she didn't let it show. "This is my best friend, Sakura. She came from Konoha to have her wedding tomorrow."

Sakura reached out to shake Matsuri's hand. "Hello."

Matsuri kept her arms crossed. "Nice to meet you."

Sakura dropped her hand awkwardly. "You, too."

"Well, have a good day, Hinata. Hope your wedding goes well, Sakura. See you later." Matsuri brushed past Hinata, purposely bumping into her on the way by. Hinata stumbled, but Sakura grabbed her arm to steady her.

"What was that all about?" Sakura asked when Matsuri was out of earshot.

"She's the girl w-who I saved from being r-robbed that day," Hinata had explained the situation to Sakura already.

"Oh, her. Why was she mean to you like that? Does she have a thing for Gaara?"

"Yes. Ever since Gaara and I officially met her, s-she's been eyeing Gaara. Now that he's single, I-I guess he can do what he wants. And she lives here. She was a good friend. Now I guess, she's more concerned about g-getting with Gaara." Hinata sighed sadly. She wondered if Gaara would accept, if Matsuri asked him to date her.

Sakura just shook her head in amusement. "Ignore her. She seems catty. Seems like she cares more about getting with a guy than being a friend to someone. She only wants friends around when a boy isn't involved."

Hinata nodded. "I-I agree."

"And if Gaara gets with her, so be it. He's a jerk anyway," Sakura smirked, and the two continued walking until they reached the church and stepped inside.

Hinata gaped. It was simple, but beautiful. A flower display was set up near the front where Sakura and Sasuke would be standing to make their vows. There were flowers lining the aisles, and streamers attached to the benches. There was a long table off to the side where guests could leave gifts. The table had a white table cloth and a beautiful centerpiece of white roses.

"I love it," Hinata told Sakura as they walked up the aisle.

Sakura grinned. "Me, too. I'm getting nervous. I can't believe this will really be happening tomorrow."

Hinata was happy for her friend, but a little bit jealous too. She wondered when she, herself would find her soul mate, the one that she would spend forever with.

_I think you already found him._

The thought hit her, hard, and she blinked. Her mind was right. She had found him. So why wasn't she with him?

A plan devised itself in her head. Even if she had just had her heart broken, she knew that being with Naruto would help her heal. _Tomorrow,_she thought. _Tomorrow you'll be with him. Just wait for the perfect moment._

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><p><strong>Astrocam: What's Hinata got planned up her sleeve? Anyway..thanks for the reviews and faves :) Hope to have another chapter up soon :) <strong>


	8. The Big Day

**Astrocam: Thanks again for the reviews and faves :) This is a pretty quick update, but I'm already halfway through chapter nine, so this story is getting close to being finished...I think. But I'm not sure. I've had a hit of inspiration so I might as well keep at it lol. Anyway hope you enjoy :) **

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><p><strong>Chapter Eight – The Big Day<strong>

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><p>"Oh God, Hinata, I'm going to hyperventilate. Get me a paper bag."<p>

It was a half an hour before the wedding. Sakura was almost hysterical with worry, anticipation, nervousness, stress. She had been a bridezilla all morning, ordering everyone around to make sure things were perfect. Hinata was tired, but she wanted her friend to be happy, so she pushed aside her own emotions and rushed to find a paper bag.

By the time she returned to the room, however, Sakura had already calmed herself down and was ordering Ino to fix a spot in her hairdo that fell down. So, Hinata set the paper bag on a chair and went over to the two girls.

"Oh my...Sakura, you look beautiful," Sakura's mom entered the room with her father. Immediately, tears sprang to her eyes. Hinata felt awkward.

Sakura grinned. "I'm freaking out, Mom. I don't know if I can hold it together when I see Sasuke."

"You'll be fine. I felt the same way when I married your father, but it went off without a hitch." Sakura's mom pecked her husband on the cheek.

Her husband rolled his eyes. "Yeah, right. You bawled the whole time the poor pastor was trying to get us to say our vows."

"Did not! You cried, too."

Hinata watched them playfully bicker, and felt a pang of sadness in her heart. _Gaara. I miss you so much._ She hadn't heard from him since the break up. He hadn't changed his relationship status on Facebook, either. She wondered what was taking him so long to do that. Then her thoughts shifted to someone else. Someone who was with Sasuke in a room across the hall. She remembered the plan she had devised, when she was certain she wanted to be with Naruto. But she kept changing her mind. Why couldn't she just do it already?

Sasuke hadn't found a replacement for Gaara, but he wasn't too worried. It would be fine. It would be just him and Naruto up at the altar, while Sakura had Hinata and Ino behind her.

"We'll let you finish getting ready. It's going to start in fifteen minutes. I need to get to my front row seat." Sakura's mom winked, then kissed her on the cheek before heading out the door. Sakura's dad stayed in the room, as he was walking her down the aisle to give her away to Sasuke.

"Oh God," Sakura fanned herself. "Girls, we need to get in position."

Ino sighed. "Sakura, you've been a bridezilla all morning. Chill. We're ready. Your hair is fine. Your dress is fine, you look amazing. Sasuke will drool and won't be able to control himself when he sees you. Don't worry."

Sakura closed her eyes, taking a deep breath, inhaling then exhaling before opening her eyes again. "I'm sorry I've been a pain this morning. All right, everyone line up!"

"Hang on, I'll make sure Sasuke is waiting up front. Don't want to run into him in the hallway." Ino rushed to the door, poking her head out, looking up to the main part of the building. Then she returned. "He's there, waiting. Man he looks gorgeous."

Sakura stood, hugging both Ino and Hinata, and her father as well. "Thank you guys for being here for me. We have to get Naruto so that he can walk with Hinata up the aisle. Ino, I guess you'll be solo for this."

Ino grinned. "Fine by me."

Just then, Naruto came into the room. His eyes opened wide when he saw Sakura. "Wow, Sakura-chan. I almost didn't recognize you."

Hinata became instantly jealous, but it was Sakura's day, not hers. Her own day would come. She had to admit that Naruto himself looked super hot in the suit that he'd picked.

Sakura smiled. "You look good yourself. Now let's go out into the hallway. The music will start in a few minutes."

Naruto's eyes then met Hinata's, and it was like there was no one else in the room. Everything else faded away. She could tell Naruto felt the same way too, but just as he was opening his mouth to say something to her, Sakura cut him off and ushered them all out of the room.

Sakura and her dad were first. They linked arms, and Naruto stood behind Sakura's dad, while Hinata stood beside Naruto. Naruto held his arm out, and, looking Hinata in the eyes, he mouthed, _"You're beautiful."_ Then winked at her.

Her legs almost turned to jelly. She wanted to collapse, but had to keep standing because they were soon to be walking down the aisle. Instead, she linked her hand through his arm, turning ten shades of red. _Calm down, you can't walk out in front of all those people looking like this. Damn Naruto for being so damn cute and sweet. _

Ino stood behind Hinata. She saw everything that was going on between Hinata and Naruto, but just smiled.

Suddenly, the door of the church opened. Everyone in the aisle turned to see a breathless, crimson-haired man, wearing a suit. He stepped in, closing the door behind him.

"I'm sorry I'm late," he breathed, falling into place behind Naruto and beside Ino. "I figured that I should fulfill what I had promised. I couldn't let recent events change that." He stared openly at Hinata the entire time he talked.

Hinata glared. She couldn't believe that Gaara had the guts to show up at a wedding unannounced, after he had broken her heart and had not talked to her since. Why the hell was he here? Was he just going to make things worse between her and Naruto? Did he not want her to end up with Naruto? Why?

Gaara looked over at Hinata before raising his arm for Ino to take. Ino hesitated, knowing the situation. Sakura just rolled her eyes, frustrated at this turn of events. "Take his arm, Ino. We'll discuss this later. I'm about to get married. No time for pettiness."

"Is everything all right, Sakura? Should I escort him out?" Sakura's father looked concerned. He didn't know much about what was going on.

"No, Dad, just leave him. We're fine. He was just showing up at the last minute." Sakura forced a smile, not wanting to get her father involved.

Meanwhile, Hinata could feel Naruto tensing under her hand. She looked up at him, warning him with her eyes not to do anything. This was Sakura's moment. Nothing could ruin it for her, not even the ex boyfriend of her maid of honor showing up. Naruto's eyes met Hinata's, this time full of anger. Hinata could almost tell what he was thinking, for she was thinking the same thing. _I'm going to fucking kill him._

Seconds later, the all-too-familiar song, _"Here Comes the Bride"_, began filling the church.

It was time.

Hinata couldn't imagine how Sakura was feeling as the group began the slow walk down the aisle. For a moment, she ignored Gaara. Even though there were a thousand thoughts about him racing through her mind, she had to concentrate on what was currently happening. Her best friend was about to get married to the love of her life. It was supposed to be a happy day. Hinata couldn't break down now. She couldn't let Sakura down.

Hinata craned her neck so that she would be able to see Sasuke's reaction when he saw Sakura as his bride. The closer they got, the more her heart pounded. For a fleeting second, she pictured this as herself and Naruto. That almost made her faint. And she wasn't even the bride.

Sasuke was all smiles – and that was saying a lot for an Uchiha. Hinata, herself, wasn't even sure if she'd ever seen Sasuke truly smile until now. Everyone stood when Sakura walked in, and they took photos of the bride and her bridal party as they walked down the aisle. Sakura's photographers were there as well, capturing every moment.

When Sasuke caught sight of Gaara, however, his smile faded into a frown. Sakura shook her head, warning him to behave himself. Hinata couldn't see Sakura's face, but she guessed that Sakura was giving him a stern look.

Finally, everyone fell into place. Sakura stepped up onto the altar, standing across from Sasuke. Naruto was directly behind Sasuke, and Gaara was beside Naruto. The wedding was fairly quick, the ceremony lasting about thirty minutes, but Hinata's favorite part was Sasuke and Sakura's kiss declaring them husband and wife. They nearly leaped on each other, their lips crashing with such passion as Hinata had only seen once, with Gaara...

Cameras flashed all around while the happy couple kissed. Finally they broke apart. The pastor declared them husband and wife. They signed the papers with a white feathered pen, took each other's hand, and lead the bridal party down the aisle.

Everyone gathered outside for a few more photos before Sakura and Sasuke's rented limo came to take them to the hotel. Sakura assured Hinata before she left that she would text her later. She, too, was curious to know why Gaara had returned. But she didn't want to cause a big scene in front of everyone, so she hadn't spoken to Gaara. Neither had Hinata. He had mostly stayed off to the side by himself after the wedding, eyeing her the whole time. Naruto had stayed by her side protectively, occasionally putting an arm around her while glaring at Gaara.

When Sasuke and Sakura rode away in their limo, the wedding guests began heading off to their own vehicles. Hinata stuck to Naruto's side as she made her way towards Gaara. She had to know why he was really here. But she didn't want to face him alone, for fear of getting emotional.

The moment was here. Now she would make a stand.

"Gaara-kun...why did you decide to come?" she spoke as clearly as she could muster. After the busy morning with getting ready for the wedding, and then Gaara showing up out of nowhere, she sounded stronger than she felt. At the moment she just wanted to collapse on the grass.

"Yeah, what's the big idea, after what you did to Hinata?" Naruto seethed. He had been tense the whole wedding, but managed not to pummel Gaara for Sakura's sake.

"I told Sakura I'd be Sasuke's groomsman, so I felt bad that Ino would have to walk the aisle alone. I just wanted to go through with my promise." Gaara shrugged, as if it was that simple. "I also wanted to talk to Hinata."

Naruto again put his arm around Hinata's waist protectively. "I don't think so. I'm not letting you alone with her. I can't see her cry again."

"Fair enough. I'll speak to her now." Gaara took a breath, then winced as though it hurt him. He was probably still sore from being shot. "Hinata, I am truly sorry for what I have done to you. I did not mean those words I said. It was stupid of me, and wrong. I was tired and on some sort of pain medication. That's not an excuse for breaking your heart though, and I have felt guilty ever since once I realized what I'd done."

Hinata felt the pain, the bitterness towards him melt away in that instant. He was sorry. She had never had anyone say that to her before...not even Naruto when they'd had their fights. Either Naruto wasn't good at apologizing, or he just didn't care, but for some reason those simple words, "I'm truly sorry", made Hinata want to run up and hug Gaara and kiss him everywhere.

_No! You were going to go after Naruto today. Don't change your mind just because Gaara randomly shows up and says a few sweet words._

Her mind was right. She had to follow her heart.

Boldly, she stepped forward, out of Naruto's protective hold, and said, "Gaara...I forgive you."

Naruto blinked at her. "What? You can forgive him just like that?"

She turned to face Naruto. "Think about it. You forgave me after what I did to you. Why can't I do the same for Gaara?"

"That's...true...but what if he hurts you again?" Naruto looked ready to beat Gaara to a pulp.

Hinata sighed, putting a hand on his arm. "He won't. Because I'm not going to date him again. I'll be his friend. But the person I really want..." And, in front of Gaara, she stood up on her tiptoes and placed a kiss on Naruto's lips.

After a few seconds, she pulled away, glancing at Gaara. Gaara didn't look mad, or upset. He just looked...amused.

"Well...I should have known that would happen if I left you unattended for a few days. Your heart belongs to him, Hinata. Not me. You made the right choice. You've grown up a lot, and I've only known you for a few months. Well done."

He was...praising her?

Hinata was confused. She knew she wanted to be with Naruto, but why was Gaara acting so calmly about the whole situation? "I'm sorry, Gaara," she murmured.

He gave her a sad smile. "No need to be. It's not your fault that your heart knows what it wants. Anyway, I'd best be leaving now. See you two at the reception tonight." Without letting them reply, he sauntered off towards the parking lot.

_Yeah! You can be with Naruto now!_ Her inner self was celebrating.

_Then why do I feel so guilty? I've not grown up at all...I don't know why everyone thinks that._ Hinata's legs suddenly buckled under her, from the stress of the morning and everything that had just happened. She would have collapsed, had Naruto not been there to catch her.

"Hey! Hina-chan, are you ok?"

She held her hand to her head, a sudden pain shooting through her head. "I just...have a headache. And I'm hungry. I-I haven't eaten."

Naruto helped steady her as the two began the walk towards her apartment. Her head was pounding, her mind reeling with everything. She wasn't officially with Naruto until he asked her, or she asked him, right? But had she just asked him? She had kissed him in front of Gaara after Gaara had sincerely apologized to her for breaking her heart. What kind of heartless person was she?

They finally reached her apartment, where Naruto instructed her to lay down on the couch as he rushed into the kitchen. She kicked off her shoes and laid down, not even bothering to take off her dress. Naruto returned with Advil and water, and she took two pills to hopefully help get rid of the headache.

"I'm going to make you food. What do you want?" Naruto asked after she had downed the pills.

"Eggs and toast sounds fine." Hinata wasn't in the mood for a full meal. As long as there was something in her stomach, that would be fine.

Naruto immediately went back into the kitchen. Hinata set down her glass of water on the table beside the couch and sighed, closing her eyes. What a rough morning. She wondered what things would be like at the reception – and then remembered she had promised to text Sakura about why Gaara had showed up at her wedding.

So, that's what she did.

**Gaara was there to apologize to me. **

**Oh! And what did you do?**

**I forgave him and kissed Naruto in front of him.**

**Oh my, you're getting bold now. What did Gaara do?**

**He just looked amused...basically told me that my heart was with Naruto, and that he would see me at the reception tonight.**

**It's good that he didn't cause a scene. I hope he behaves himself tonight. **

**Me, too. I've got a headache and Naruto is making me some food. How are you and Sasuke doing, now that you're married?**

**Aww, it's sweet that Naruto is making you food. Sasuke and I are well. We just ...well I guess you don't want to know that ;) Anyway, I'll see you tonight hun. Hope you feel better :) **

Hinata giggled, then typed, **See you tonight, Sakura-chan. Have fun with Sasuke ;) **

**Oh I will, believe me ;) **

Hinata decided to best leave the newlyweds alone for now, and wait patiently for Naruto's return with her food. Again she closed her eyes. Thankfully, the pain in her head was going away slowly. She figured she should be fine for the reception tonight.

Naruto came into the living room moments later. Hinata opened her eyes and saw that he was carrying a plate, with a couple of eggs and a piece of toast. Just as she'd asked.

She smiled. "Arigato, Naruto-kun."

"No problem. I don't want to see you in pain. Are the pills kicking in yet?" he handed her the plate while he went to grab the folding table.

"I think so. I-I feel a bit better."

"That's good." Naruto unfolded the small table and set it in front of her. She placed her plate of food on it and began eating, discovering that she was ravenous. She ate it all very quickly.

It was when she was finished that she finally turned back to Naruto. "Are you hungry? I'm sorry, I should have asked..."

"I'm fine, I had a huge breakfast. The hotel food is pretty yummy." Naruto rubbed his stomach, smacking his lips as he remembered the food.

They were silent for a few moments. Hinata pushed the table away, then leaned her head on Naruto's shoulder. It seemed as though she wasn't afraid anymore. Perhaps it was because she knew that Naruto felt the same way about her, or maybe she had changed in some ways after all she had been through. Could they really be together, after all this time?

The butterflies returned when Naruto put his arm around her waist, letting her snuggle into him. "Did you really mean it when you kissed me in front of Gaara?"

"Yes. I love you, Naruto-kun. I always have, even while I was with Gaara." Hinata couldn't believe these words were coming out of her mouth. But she couldn't hide anything anymore.

Naruto shuffled around so that he was holding her at arm's length. "I love you too, Hinata." And with that, he closed the gap between her lips, kissing her with a passion that she had never felt before, not even with Gaara.

They could finally be together.

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><p>Hinata told Naruto that she didn't want to have sex with him until they were more used to each other in the relationship sense, and he agreed. She told him that she would let him know she was ready. Instead, they kissed and talked and cuddled a lot, up until they had to get ready for the reception.<p>

"I can't wear this dress, I didn't take it off and it's all wrinkled," Hinata realized this the moment she stood up off the couch. She hadn't left the couch all day, but her headache was completely gone. But now she didn't have a dress to wear.

Naruto groaned, stretching as he stood up. "I don't think it matters. We're going to the beach for the reception. My suit is all wrinkly, too." He hadn't bothered changing, either.

"But there will be photos..." Hinata sighed, disappointed at herself. She didn't have another dress.

"True. Dammit. I'll call Sasuke." Naruto whipped out his cell phone and explained the situation. After a few moments, he hung up and turned back to Hinata, a grin on his face. "We have to meet Sasuke and Sakura at the hotel. Sasuke offered to buy us new outfits. I wish I had the money to do that kind of thing."

"Wow." Hinata was surprised. Sasuke had already done so much for this wedding. How much money did that man have? Sakura had it made.

"I have my other clothes at the hotel. But you can get changed now." Naruto told her. Hinata went into her bedroom and changed into a basic outfit, but re-applied her make up and was ready to go. They got a taxi to the hotel, where Sasuke and Sakura were waiting outside.

"How's the newly married couple?" Naruto grinned, giving Sasuke and Sakura a hug.

"We're just fine." Sakura had this glow on her face, a glow that Hinata remembered all too well. A painful memory came back of her and Gaara, and she shuddered.

Naruto headed up to his hotel room to get changed, leaving Hinata with the other two.

"So, what's going on between you and Naruto?" Sakura demanded.

"We're...um...together." Hinata turned ten shades of red as she said the words, hardly believing it herself.

"WHAT? No way!" Sakura gave her friend a hug. "It's about time. The past five years have been torture. I wanted to smack you for not telling him sooner."

Hinata giggled. "I-I know. I should have told him."

Sasuke gave a smirk. "Well, what do you know. The dobe finally has a girlfriend."

Sakura rolled her eyes, playfully poking Sasuke. "That's his way of saying he's happy for you. What are you going to do about Gaara though?"

"Just be his friend, I guess. It would have been long distance anyway." Hinata shrugged, still sad that Gaara had broken her heart just a couple days ago.

"That's not so bad. At least you can finally be with who you were meant to be with all along." Sakura took Sasuke's hand, leaning her head against his shoulder happily.

Hinata wasn't so sure. Yes, she loved Naruto. Yes, she'd wanted to be with him for a long time. But...was he really her soul mate? Perhaps she was still just confused about the whole Gaara thing. Maybe they shouldn't have jumped into a relationship so soon after she'd had her heart broken. It had just been an impulse thing that she had kissed him, a spur of the moment. _Stop thinking and enjoy this. You were meant to be with Naruto. Not Gaara._

Damn. What had she done?

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><p><strong>Astrocam: Hinata's having second thoughts about her decision to be with Naruto. It's confusing to be a girl sometimes. Especially when you have two cute boys who want to be with you. Hope you enjoyed :) <strong>


	9. At Least One of us Is Thinking

**Astrocam: So...I received a review I didn't like. I think I'm gonna block anonymous users from being able to review, because when they leave a negative/bad review they never sign in. Probably because they don't want me to reply to them. To that person I have to say:**

**If you don't like Hinata in this story, stop reading. Also, girls get confused and "wishy washy" as you put it, when put in this kind of situation where they have two boys who care about them. IT HAPPENS. Remember in the famous Twilight, when Bella, even though her heart was set on Edward, she began to sort of like Jacob too cause Edward was gone? Hinata was confused because she loved Naruto, but she met Gaara and really started to care about him too. Then as she dated Gaara her feelings for Naruto sort of went away. But they came back when Gaara broke up with her.  
><strong>

**Remember, this is a Gaara/Hinata fanfic. I'm not one to write about Mary-Sue endings, where they end up together with little to no drama at all. In my opinion, a real relationship takes work. The situation in my story is somewhat different, but I am sure that some people have experienced it before. (me included)  
><strong>

**Anyway, mini rant over. Thank you to everyone who likes this story, and who added it to their favourites :)**

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><p><strong>Chapter Nine - At Least One of us Is Thinking<strong>

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><p>Hinata and Naruto quickly found outfits for the reception, then wasted no time in changing into them. Sticking with Sasuke and Sakura, the four of them headed to the beach where the reception was being held. Hinata wondered if Gaara would already be there, or if he would show up late to the reception like he was almost late for the wedding.<p>

Hinata's heart was pounding with anticipation as they pulled up to the beach parking lot in the taxi. Music was already playing from an outdoor stage (which was one normally used for public events, however Sakura had booked it for her reception) and guests were arriving. There were tables set up, and Sakura had also hired Gai and Lee to cater for her. The food was being cooked outside on a barbeque. Since there were only twenty people, it was not that hard to cook for everyone.

The minute they stepped outside of the car, Naruto took a deep breath, filling his lungs with ocean air, the earlier events forgotten. "Man, I love the smell of the ocean in summertime. Or maybe it's the hamburgers."

Hinata giggled. She had to lighten up. _Don't think about drama tonight,_ she told herself. _Just have fun. Deal with things as they come._

The DJ of the night happened to be Gaara's older brother, Kankuro. Hinata had no idea that he was a DJ. Perhaps that was why Gaara suddenly decided to show up at the wedding – he knew his brother was going to be at the reception. Sakura had hired a DJ in Suna, but she hadn't known that Kankuro was related to Gaara.

After a couple more songs played and most of the guests arrived (thankfully, Hinata didn't see Gaara yet), Kankuro tapped on his mic, and it made a noise, causing everyone to be silent.

"Hey guys, thanks for attending the wedding and reception of Sakura and Sasuke Uchiha."

The guests clapped. Hinata knew that Sasuke and Sakura had gone into a tent, and would reappear when Kankuro officially announced their names.

"Welcome, Mr. and Mrs. Uchiha Sasuke!"

The two stepped out of their tent. Sakura had changed back into her wedding dress, Sasuke into his suit. He proudly took her hand, and they walked down the middle of the crowd who parted for them, smiling and waving. As they passed Hinata and Naruto, Naruto reached down to squeeze Hinata's hand. Hinata intertwined her fingers in Naruto's. It felt so...right. But something was off. And she wasn't sure what.

"Now, they'll have the customary first dance as husband and wife."

The sun was setting over the ocean as the song, "Everything I Do" by Bryan Adams filled the air. Sasuke took one of Sakura's hands in his, placing the other on her waist. It was beautiful. The photographers worked to get the perfect photos, but other cameras were snapping away as well.

Where was Gaara?

Hinata had half a mind to text him. But she didn't want to miss any of Sakura's dance. _I'll text him after the first dance._

"Hina-chan? It seems like you're a million miles away," Naruto's voice snapped her out of her thoughts.

She shrugged. "It's nothing."

Naruto rolled his eyes, but didn't say anything more. He probably knew what she was thinking about.

Suddenly, her phone vibrated in her purse. Reluctantly releasing Naruto's hand, she reached into her purse and plucked out her phone. It was a message from Gaara.

**I'm here. But I don't want Naruto to follow you. I want to speak to you alone.**

**Where? I don't see you.** Hinata looked around, but she couldn't spot Gaara in the small crowd.

**I'm not on the beach, I'm in the parking lot. I don't want Naruto to have a fit. Tell him you need to use the washroom.**

**I will after Sakura and Sasuke's dance.**

**Fine. Don't be too long. **

**Why don't you come on the beach? You kind of invited yourself to the wedding, so why not now?**

**I know your psycho boyfriend won't hold back here. **

Hinata bristled when Gaara called Naruto "psycho", but brushed it off and typed back, **Fine. Naruto will get suspicious. So stop texting me. I'll meet you soon.**

He didn't answer, so she shoved her phone back in her purse, a bit angrily. Gaara was probably going to ruin her night.

"Who was that? What's wrong?" Naruto looked concerned.

Hinata shook her head, trying to force a smile. "I-it's nothing, Naruto-kun. Just my dad asking how the wedding is."

"Oh, I didn't know he texted."

"Hanabi is teaching him." Hinata hoped she could pull off meeting Gaara.

Again, Naruto didn't question her. He was good at not giving her the third degree every time someone texted her while she was with him. It felt as though he trusted her. Even if she was currently lying to him, but it was for his own good.

The rest of the song seemed to drag on, now that Hinata was eager to meet up with Gaara. She wasn't "eager" so much as "angry" and "upset", mostly at the fact that he had insulted Naruto. He was a police officer, couldn't he have showed a bit more respect, seeing as Naruto had done the same in an even worse situation?

_Oh my, girl. You have two boys fighting over you. Two cute ones at that. How do you get yourself into these situations? _ Her mind scolded her, and it sounded as if she was in junior high school all over again. Not that she'd ever had two guys fighting over her before, just that this whole situation was really petty and she had been the cause of it all. She had to straighten this out, but how? Who did she really want to be with, in her heart?

Even her heart was confused.

As the last notes of the song played, Hinata turned to Naruto. "I-I have to use the washroom. There's an outdoor toilet by the parking lot. I-I'll be right back."

He gave her a quick hug. "The dancing will start soon, and I wanna dance with you."

"I know, I'll be back." she pecked him on the lips and sauntered into the crowd, trying not to appear hurried.

It didn't take her long to reach the parking lot, where she spotted Gaara's car, and leaning against it tapping his foot...

"Hello," Gaara murmured, standing up straight when he spotted her. He was dressed in casual clothes now, as though he'd had no plans of coming to the reception even though he had told them he would.

Hinata stepped closer to him so that they were a few feet apart. "Hi."

Suddenly, he swept her into his arms, pressing his lips onto hers, igniting a fire in her that she hadn't felt with Naruto. Her mind screamed at her, _Cheater, cheater!_ But at the moment she didn't care. She wanted Gaara, no, needed him...and instantly she knew what had been missing with Naruto.

She couldn't date Naruto. She wasn't attracted to him sexually. Sure, he was cute and romantic, and fun. There was no drama. And he was very mature. But she knew that having sex with him after five years of being his friend would probably be extremely awkward.

_So you're going to dump Naruto for an affair with Gaara? You have less than a week left here. Only a few days. That's all the amount of time you're going to have sex with Gaara. _

_Yes, but it's sex. That's all. No emotion..._

_Are you kidding me? You still love him, too. You love both of them._

_You're right. What am I going to do? _

_I don't know. You confuse even me. _

After a few moments, feeling slightly dizzy from the intensity, Hinata broke the kiss, looking Gaara in his jade eyes. "W-why did you do that? I'm leaving in a few days."

He gave a sad smile. "I know. I just wanted to feel it one last time. Besides, I miss the hell out of you, and I knew I was stupid to do what I did. But it's too late now, you're with him. I just thought I would have more than a couple days to get myself together..."

Hinata shook her head. "I know I shouldn't have moved on so soon. I'm sorry that I kissed him in front of you. But now I'm confused." She decided to confide in Gaara. He was wise, in some ways. Perhaps he could help her decide. "I love you, but...you hurt me. And Naruto never has. And I love him, too."

"Then, how is that confusing? You should be with him. You're going away to Konoha anyway." Gaara kept his grip on her waist, as if he didn't want her to leave.

Hinata rested her hands on his shoulders. "I care about both of you, deeply. I can't decide. I think I'm going to tell Naruto that I need to take some time. I can't be in a relationship right now, I just need a week or two by myself to sort out who I want to be with in the long term."

"I understand. But in the meantime..." Gaara winked.

"Sorry but I have to break it off with Naruto first," Hinata couldn't help but smile. Of course she would have sex with Gaara again before she left. If she was single, why couldn't she, right?

"I'll be waiting." Gaara kissed her before releasing her and sliding into the driver's seat of his car. Hinata turned and headed back towards the small crowd on the beach. The dance floor was free for all now.

She got a text message from Naruto. **Where are you? Did you fall in?**

She couldn't help but giggle at that, then typed back, **Sorry, I dropped my phone along the way and I was searching for it but I found it. I really need to talk to you about something important.**

**That doesn't sound good. Where are you at now? **

**I'll come to you. Where are you?**

**By the stage.**

Then she spotted him. He had taken his suit jacket off, and was looking handsome in just the white t-shirt. Oh boy, this was going to be difficult.

She made her way through the dancers until she reached him.

"Hey," he looked into her eyes and knew she was not in the mood for dancing. "What happened?"

"Naruto-kun, I'm sorry but..." she took a deep breath, tears threatening to fall again. "I...I can't be with you. I can't be with anyone right now. I'm just too confused, about you and Gaara."

"But I thought that you broke it off with Gaara. For good, even after he apologized..." Naruto's normally cheery face fell into sadness, and then turned immediately angry. "He's here isn't he? He's fucking with your mind. Jesus, I just want to be with you, apparently that's too much to ask without your ex butting in."

Hinata sighed. "Yes, he is here, but don't confront him. I'm trying to keep the drama down low. He's in the parking lot. I was just talking to him. I'm sorry. I'm really confused and hurt."

Naruto rolled his eyes at her. "I'm sorry, but I can't be with someone who can't make up her mind. It's either me, or him. Decide now."

"I don't want to be with anyone right now!" Hinata raised her voice, exasperated. A few people looked her way, but no one seemed to really care. Then she lowered her voice again. "I'm single as of now. I'll let you know when I've made my decision."

"Fine. I'm sure Sakura-chan will want to dance with me." Naruto whirled on his heel, storming off into the crowd, leaving Hinata by herself.

She couldn't cry now. She had to find Gaara and he would take her back to her apartment to comfort her.

She sent Sakura a text. **Sakura-chan, something's come up. I have to leave. Your wedding and dance was beautiful. **

**Hinata, please don't go! We need pictures! And I want you to dance with me!**

Hinata cringed. But she didn't want to be around anyone right now, besides a certain person. So she typed back, **I'm sorry, I don't feel well. My headache came back. Gaara showed up and is taking me home. I broke up with Naruto. I'll dance with you at your party back home, I promise. **This whole drama was ruining her night. She could have been having fun with her friends. Instead she was choosing sex.

**Fine, about the dancing. But come get pictures now. I'm sorry that you broke up with Naruto. Sex with Gaara will have to wait for a few minutes. Just get your ass here. We're by the tent that me and Sasuke came out of earlier.**

Great, now even Sakura was pissed at her. Should she just cancel on Gaara and continue to have fun with her friends?

_Yes, you should._

_But sex would feel so good right now, to get my mind off everything._

_So would dancing and having fun with your friends._

_Touche. Still. I promised Gaara._

_No you didn't. Text him and cancel. Tell him you'll call him tomorrow. He'll understand. Your libido can wait._

_No it can't. I'm going with Gaara._

_Damn you._

She finally reached the spot where the photos were being taken. It didn't take a rocket scientist to tell her that both Sakura and Naruto were upset with her for what was going on. But Sakura didn't want to take bridal party photos without the maid of honor. So everyone put on a huge smile for the photographers. They snapped a few photos. About ten minutes later, they were done.

"Go be with Gaara now," Naruto sneered, and if looks could kill, Hinata knew she'd be fried to a crisp.

Hinata cringed, but didn't say anything to anyone, turning on her heel and running down the beach, tears springing free. She had ruined what could have been a lovely evening for herself. All because she was horny. She knew she was going to regret this, but it had been done. She couldn't go back, and apologize to everyone after the drama she had just caused.

She finally made it to the parking lot where thankfully Gaara was still waiting. It would have been more humiliating if he had driven off, thinking she wasn't coming back. Then she definitely would have had to go back and face angry people.

She opened the passenger door and slid in the car, wiping her eyes.

"What's wrong?" Gaara asked, concerned.

"Sakura and Naruto are m-mad at me," she sniffled, trying to calm down.

"Because you're coming with me?"

"Yes."

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't drag you away from your best friend's wedding reception. Go back with them if you want, and text me later."

_That's what you should have done! At least one of us is thinking._

Hinata looked up at him, shyly. "But I want to be w-with you."

"Sakura will be staying in the hotel with Sasuke from now until you go home, right?"

"Y-yes."

"Then I'll see you tomorrow or later tonight." Gaara gave her a smile. "Go have fun with your friends. You've been stressed out, and you need to relax. Sex can wait. It's only been a couple of days since we last did it."

Hinata sighed. "I-I can't face them now. They hate me."

"No they don't. I'm sure if you went back, they would admire you for choosing them over a night with me. Text Sakura an apology now and tell her that you'll be returning."

Hinata picked up her phone and sent Sakura a text. **I'm sorry. I didn't mean to run off on you. I want to come back.**

**Where's Gaara? Where are you?**

**It doesn't matter. I'm coming back.**

**I'm sorry I snapped at you earlier, Hinata. I've been frustrated all day, planning a wedding is more stressful than actually being married. Sure, you can come back. Naruto has been sulking since you left. He's not angry anymore, but he's been sitting in a corner, brooding. No one can get him to dance, not even me. You're welcome here.**

**Thanks, I'll be there in a few minutes.**

**What changed your mind?**

**Let's just say I'd rather spend time with my friends than my ex. I can see him tomorrow. Your wedding reception is a once in a lifetime thing. I can't miss that for anyone.**

**Aww, I love you Hinata. Get your ass back here now. I'm not going to tell Naruto, you can surprise him by showing up.**

**I love you too, Sakura-chan.**

Placing her phone back in her purse, Hinata turned to Gaara. "I-I'll be single for the rest of my few days left here in S-Suna."

Gaara's eyes twinkled. "I'm sure I can think of something for us to do."

_Friends with benefits? Really? Well, why the hell not? You've only got a few days left here. And it's no strings attached._

_But what if I can't handle it...he only broke up with me two days ago._

_Then we'll see, but for now let's enjoy ourselves._

Then he reached over, planting another kiss on her mouth. After a few seconds, she pulled away, smiling. Her libido could have jumped him in the car. "I'll s-see you later, Gaara. I'll text you t-tonight."

"I'll be waiting, baby." Gaara waited until she was safely out of the car before turning it on and pulling out of the parking lot.

_Damn you, calm down,_ Hinata scolded herself as she walked back towards the beach. If she didn't get her sexual side under control for the next few hours, she might end up jumping Naruto's skin. That was the problem with sex...once you started, it was so hard to just stop. Before she'd had sex, she had no idea what she was missing. Now, after having sex with Gaara very nearly everyday of the summer, it was harder for her to control herself.

She loved Naruto for his sweet, romantic side and the fact that they had been inseparable best friends for five years. She loved Gaara for the sex, and of course he was a great guy as well, almost a protector to her. If only she could combine the two, then she wouldn't have this problem.

In her single time, she would have to make a list of the pros and cons of each of them, because she couldn't make her mind, or her heart, decide. She knew that it would be long distance with Gaara if she decided to be with him. But perhaps they could visit on holidays. Hinata's family had some money, surely they would help her see her boyfriend. However, if she was with Naruto, she wouldn't have to worry about that. But could she have sex with Naruto?

_Don't make that list now. Forget about both of them for the night. Yes you will be dancing with Naruto, but it'll be as friends. No pressure._

Sakura was waiting for her at the edge of the pathway that Hinata was walking on that lead to the beach. When Hinata reached her, she threw her arms around her.

"I'm sorry, Sakura-chan."

"Don't worry about it. You're here now. Let's have some fun. The music only just started. So we still have a couple of more hours before people start leaving." Sakura grinned, then pulled away from her and led her to the dance floor.

Hinata pushed her troubles to the back of her mind, and just started moving to the music. Sakura grabbed her arms and the two of them started dancing wildly, laughing and nearly bumping into people along the way. Hinata was glad that Gaara had pushed her to come back...she was having a blast.

After a few songs, the two of them decided to take a break, so they headed over to where the guys were sitting. Naruto didn't know that Hinata had returned – until he saw her coming off the dance floor with Sakura.

He stood quickly as she approached his table. "You're back! Now we can all be together!"

Sasuke, Shikamaru, Chouji, Neji, Rock Lee, Ino and Tenten were there. It felt complete. Although a piece of Hinata was missing, but she would meet up with him later.

"Let's all get on the dance floor!" Rock Lee pumped a fist in the air.

"No way," Sasuke frowned.

"Sasuke-kun..." Sakura whined, walking over to him and wrapping her arms around his waist. "Please?" she batted her eyelashes up at him.

"I don't dance, Sakura, you know that. Besides slow dancing." Sasuke grumbled, shoving his hands in his pockets.

Sakura rolled her eyes. "Come on, just try. It's fun, me and Hinata were just dancing."

"Then dance with Hinata."

Hinata giggled as she watched their bickering. Then she felt a tap on her shoulder, and turned to face Naruto.

He was smiling. "I'm glad you came back."

She couldn't help but grin. "Even if I-I don't want to be with anyone right now?"

Naruto nodded. "That's ok. I understand you're confused. I would be too, if it was between you and Sakura. But Sakura-chan's already off limits." he gestured to Sakura and Sasuke, where Sakura was still begging Sasuke to dance. "I just...hope that one day me and you can try."

"I-I'm sure we will, one day." Hinata boldly opened her arms and gave him a hug. He hugged her back, so tight that she could barely breathe.

A few seconds later, he released her, then grabbed her hand and said, "Now let's have fun and forget about drama for a while, ok? You need to relieve your stress."

And then he promptly led (dragged) Hinata to the dance floor.

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><p><strong>Astrocam: Even I can't keep up to Hinata's mind. lol Anyway hope you enjoyed...things will be resolved very soon. <strong>


	10. Awkward Encounter

**Astrocam: Yay, a new chapter. I'm kinda proud of myself for updating this so fast. I guess I must not have much else to do, which is true for the most part lol. Ah well, at least I'm gettin 'er done. **

**Finally the conflict will be resolved in this chapter. So I hope you enjoy :) And if you're going to leave a mean review, at least sign in so I can write back to you. Otherwise I'll just mention your name and review in the next chapter. **

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><p><strong>Chapter Ten – Awkward Encounter<strong>

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><p>The reception went well. Everyone enjoyed themselves, including Hinata who danced with as many people in the gang as she could. She danced with Naruto several times (even to a couple slow songs), and Sakura the most. Sasuke tried to dance, but only ended up with stiff, awkward movements. When everyone laughed at (or with) him, Sakura finally told him to just sit down, but dance with her during the slow songs. Sasuke was fine with that.<p>

For a while, she forgot about her libido, and her sex drive earlier. She thought that maybe she wouldn't have to message Gaara tonight for him to meet up with her. That is, until for the last slow song, Naruto grabbed her around the waist and pressed her body against his as close as they could get.

She felt his erection against her hip, but didn't say anything about it.

"Hina-chan," he whispered. "Can we...go back to your apartment after this song?"

_He totally wants to fuck you. He probably had too many drinks._

_I can't fuck him. I want to fuck Gaara._

"Naruto-kun...we're just friends," she reminded him shyly.

"I don't care. I just want to try this just once with you, please." He bent down low so that his lips were against her neck. She smelled the liquor on his breath.

She stopped dancing. "Naruto-kun, I can't."

"It's because of Gaara, isn't it? You're still fucking him even though you're not with anyone right now. Dammit, why is something always in my fucking way." Naruto cursed, but luckily he kept his voice low so that he didn't draw attention.

"Shh," she hissed, even though his voice was already low. "I'm sorry, but we've been f-friends for five years, wouldn't it be w-weird to have a one night stand?"

"Nope. A lot of friends would have done it by now."

_That's true. Should I do this?_

_Sigh...I'm not going to argue with you._

_I don't have to tell Gaara. He's not my boyfriend anymore._

_Whatever. Do it then._

In a shocking move, Naruto took Hinata's hand and pressed it onto his erection. She blushed ten shades of red. She had never touched Naruto in this way, as long of a time as they had been friends. She didn't know what he looked like down there, nor did he know what she looked like naked. Naruto had never tried anything sexual with her besides making out before...

"Mmm, your hand feels nice," Naruto grinded against her hand.

She was embarrassed because he was doing it in public. "Naruto-kun...stop..." she yanked her hand away after a few seconds, but she had to admit she was getting kind of turned on. "You'll regret this t-tomorrow," she warned.

He shook his head, pulling her close again. "I won't. Let's go back to your place, ok?"

"Fine." Hinata took his hand and led the way out of the dancers, hoping that no one saw the predicament he was in.

"Are you really going to do it with me?" Naruto asked once they were on a more abandoned street.

"Yes." What the hell? She was single, she could do anything.

Her phone vibrated, and she saw that it was Gaara.

**Hey babe, are you still at the dance?**

**No, but I'm on my way home. I'm too tired to do anything tonight, so I'll see you tomorrow and we can spend the whole day together, ok? **She hoped that was enough to keep him from randomly showing up tonight.

**I understand. I'll text you tomorrow. **

He stopped texting her after that. But she decided to lock her doors tonight, just in case. She couldn't have another incident happen of someone walking in on her having sex.

Her and Naruto reached her apartment, where she opened the door and closed it behind Naruto before locking it. Now no one could randomly barge in. They were alone.

Naruto grabbed her around the waist again, this time aggressively, and brought his lips to hers, wasting no time. Hinata moaned, kissing him back, running her fingers through his hair. It was so different, to experience these emotions with Naruto. At first, she didn't want to fuck him. He was more like just a friend to her. But now, he was horny, and she was willing to help him out with that.

It didn't take them long to find her bedroom and again shut the door. Naruto pulled his shirt off, tossing it to the floor so that he was half naked in front of her. Then he reached behind her to unzip her dress. Her heart was pounding. What would Naruto be like in bed?

Soon, her dress was on the floor and she was only in her bra and panties. He yanked his pants off so that he was now in his boxers, his erection was nearly ripping out of his boxers.

When he grabbed her around the waist again, she moaned. Skin on skin felt so nice. Then, he reached his hand down to her panties. At first she thought he was going to take them off. But he pressed his fingers against her clitoris over the panties, rubbing gently.

"Mm, you're so wet. You want me, don't you?" His ocean blue eyes were staring deeply into her own lavender ones.

She nodded, letting the lust take over. Who cared if Naruto was just her friend? This was a one time thing. She didn't even have to tell anyone.

"I want you so bad Hinata," Naruto purred, nipping her neck. She dug her fingernails into his back, pressing herself against him.

In a second, her panties and bra were off, and for the first time, she was naked in front of Naruto.

Her heart was pounding so hard she thought it would burst, but she let him explore her body. He kissed her neck, her chest, and then brought his mouth down to her breasts, latching onto a nipple and licking and sucking. His free hand fondled her other breast, pinching and teasing the nipple. She gasped, nearly clawing his back with how amazing it felt.

Then an image of Gaara flashed through her mind, and the lust suddenly flew out of her body. Now, she felt weird being naked with Naruto instead of Gaara. She couldn't do this.

"No, Naruto, stop." She suddenly backed away from him with a clear head, now. She knew what she had to do. "You're drunk. Or tipsy, at least, W-we can't do this."

"But we came this far," Naruto whined.

"I still have feelings for my ex. I can't. It would be wrong." Now, Hinata just wanted to get some pajamas on and get into bed. She was suddenly tired.

Naruto groaned. "I always come this close to having you as mine, and you change your mind and back away. What is with you? You used to adore me. Now it's me or Gaara. I wish you hadn't come here at all. I wish you hadn't met Gaara. He changed you, and not for the better."

"We'll talk about it tomorrow when there is no more alcohol in your system. For now, you sleep on the couch. I'm getting dressed." Hinata went to her closet, pulled out her pajamas and quickly slipped them on. When she turned around again, Naruto was passed out on her bed, snoring away.

_Good. You need to do some serious thinking. You can't just keep going like this, between him and Gaara. And, don't hook up with Gaara tomorrow either. It might be best if you just don't see him at all before you leave._

_You're right. But I want to see him again._

_Fine, see him just before you leave, but not with enough time so you can run to the bedroom._

Hinata found some extra blankets and set up a little bed for herself on the couch. She laid down after shutting all the lights off, then finally drifted off to sleep.

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><p>"Hina-chan, why are you out here?"<p>

Hinata was awaken by Naruto's voice by her ear. Startled, she turned her head, only to see that he was kneeling beside the couch, his hair messy as if he'd just waken up.

"Because you t-tried to have sex with me, then you passed out i-in my bed." Hinata blushed, remembering that she had been naked in front of him.

Naruto turned red as well as the memories came rushing back. "I did? Omigod. I'm so sorry. I feel awful, in more ways than one."

"D-do you need some tylenol?" Hinata sat up, rubbing her eyes awake and yawning.

"Yes, please." Naruto sat on the couch while Hinata stood up and went to fetch some headache pills. She returned with the pills and a glass of water.

He took them gratefully. "Arigato. I hope they make me feel better."

"We really need to talk," she told him, sitting on the far end of the couch.

"I know. I'm so sorry," he began. "I really didn't mean to. It was just...with all those hot girls dancing the way they were at the reception, then you came along, and the alcohol that someone brought, kind of did me in. I knew you the best, and so I guess I just thought that I needed to get some. I'm so stupid."

Hinata shook her head. "No, no. I'm stupid. I-I shouldn't have led you on. I mean, I'm still so confused and hurt over G-Gaara, I didn't give myself much time to think. I need to be single for at least a few months, or however long it takes me t-to get over Gaara completely. I'm sorry."

Naruto reached over and hugged her. "Girls make mistakes, and so do guys. It's fine. I'll respect you, and leave you to deal with your feelings. But for now I'll always be your friend. I hope Gaara feels the same."

That was one weight off her shoulders. Hinata sighed. Now all she had to deal with was Gaara.

Speak of the devil, someone texted her at that instant. She picked her phone off the coffee table and saw that it was Gaara.

He said: **Hey baby, you awake? I'm still here waiting for you like I said I would be.**

With a heavy heart, she wrote him a final text message. **Gaara, I can't see you anymore. I still care too much about you, but when you broke my heart and drama kept happening, it made me realize I need time to myself. I need to be single and think about who I want to be with in the long run. And when I make my decision, I want it to be with a fresh, clear mind. I want you to come and say good-bye to me before I leave, but for now I think we should just stay friends, and I shouldn't see you until before I leave.**

**Well...if that's what you really want. What about Naruto?**

**He's fine with everything. I hope you and I can still be friends, and I'll promise you that I will come and visit Suna again. After I graduate, I'll be able to visit you even more because I'll have my own job. **

**I'll still be your friend. And I'll respect your decision. I'm sorry that I broke up with you. I didn't mean to hurt you.**

**Arigato Gaara-kun. I didn't mean to hurt you, either. For now I'm going to spend time with my Konoha friends, but you can hang out with us on my last day here, which is Friday.**

**I will. Count on it. **

**See you then.**

**Bye, Hinata. I'll miss you for sure.**

Hinata slumped down onto the couch, relieved that everything would be fine. She looked at Naruto. "G-Gaara's ok with it, too."

Naruto grinned. "That's good. Now you have both of us as friends. I promise I won't try to kiss you or anything again."

She smiled back at him. "Thank you."

She was pretty sure that was her shortest relationship - less than a day with Naruto. But she wouldn't have been able to continue to lead Naruto on while healing her broken heart. Sometimes the remedy for that was to just be by yourself for a while and enjoy life. And if someone new comes along, don't hold back waiting for the other person to try and be with you again, because they most likely won't. And if you wait too long, you may miss out on another chance of finding love.

"Maybe you should start packing to go home soon," Naruto pointed out.

"I-I guess I should," Hinata agreed.

Naruto jumped off the couch, reaching down for her hand. "I'll help!"

Hinata took his hand and stood up, giving a curtsy while still holding his hand. "I'll accept."

They spent a few hours packing some of Hinata's things that she wouldn't need in her final days here. Naruto made even packing fun...Hinata was glad that she wasn't in a relationship with anyone right now. She could be more relaxed without having to worry about who's feelings she was going to hurt.

"I-I think I'll need the rest of these things for my few days here," Hinata gestured to the small pile of clothes and other things that were left. Her room was a mess.

"Sounds good, we'll just close this suitcase then and clean up your room." Naruto shut the suitcase without too much difficulty and helped her tidy up the room, putting her remaining clothes back into her dresser.

Hinata collapsed on her bed a half hour later. "Whew! G-glad that's over with. Do you want to go down to the b-beach and go swimming?"

Naruto nodded excitedly. "Yes! That's the perfect way to cool off. I wish we had more beaches in Konoha, but we do have a waterfront."

"Yeah, one that is polluted," Hinata giggled.

"Definitely. I think I saw someone's ratty old shoe in there once..." Naruto scratched his head. "Let's get changed and get out to the beach!"

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><p>Ino, Sakura and Sasuke decided to join Hinata and Naruto at the beach. Sakura and Sasuke would have their honeymoon here in Suna, but Sasuke promised to take Sakura to a more romantic place sometime later for a real honeymoon. The rest of Sakura's guests were gone back to Konoha, including her parents so they could give Sakura some free time with her friends and new husband.<p>

While they splashed and played in the water, Hinata felt some sadness at the loss of Gaara. She wished that he could be here, and she saw the spot that he had given her the infinity necklace. She tried her best to ignore the memories and have fun, but it was painful considering the many times her and Gaara had come to the beach. She still had the necklace tucked away in a hiding spot so she wouldn't lose it.

Sure, they were still friends, but once you break up with someone things will never be the same again. Even if they dated again, it would take a bit of time to get as comfortable with him as she had been. Breaking up always made things awkward for the first little while.

She half-thought about inviting him to hang out, but knew that she needed time with just her Konoha friends, as she had had enough time with him all summer. Besides, he needed more rest from his injury. He'd gotten a week off of work to recover from the bullet wound, which he should spend relaxing and not worrying about her or Naruto. Although, he had tried to get her in bed last night, and Hinata was not sure how he was planning to have sex while recovering from getting shot.

She jumped when a Frisbee flew by her head.

"Hinata, catch!" Naruto called, a little too late.

Blushing, embarrassed that she had missed an easy catch because her mind had been wandering, she rushed to pick up the Frisbee and toss it back to Naruto. He made a leap-dive and ended up landing on his stomach, just an inch short of where the Frisbee landed.

She giggled. He always over-exaggerated things.

Picking himself off, Naruto left the Frisbee where it was and jogged over to her. "Are you ok? That was an easy catch that you could have made."

"I-I know. I just have a lot on my mind." Hinata sighed. She wondered if she would be able to have fun with her friends again or if Gaara would always haunt her with memories. Then again, the memories probably wouldn't be so vivid once she got back to Konoha.

Naruto gave her a hug. "You'll be fine once you get back to Konoha. Gaara only broke up with you a few days ago, so I don't blame you for thinking about him."

Hinata hugged him back, and it felt like just a normal hug, nothing sexual or intimate about it.

"Come on, you two!" Ino's rather loud voice startled them and caused them to break the hug. Hinata turned just in time to see Naruto get whacked in the head by the Frisbee.

He held his hand to the spot where Ino had hit him. "Oh, I'm going to get you, bitch!" He picked up the Frisbee and darted after Ino, who laughed and ran up the beach.

Hinata was alone again. She watched the two running and chasing each other, and an odd thought struck her – Naruto and Ino were perfect together. They were both blonde, loud, and obnoxious, and somewhat stupid at times although both had matured in different ways. Ino didn't have any drama now that she was over her Sasuke phase. Ino didn't have an ex chasing her, or anyone else wanting to be with her, that Hinata knew of. Then again she hadn't been around her friends in a while.

After a few moments, the two of them eventually made their way back to Hinata, who was sitting on her beach towel. Naruto tossed the Frisbee down and slung an arm casually around Hinata's shoulders. "Why didn't you join us?" he grinned at her.

Ino sat on the other side of Naruto and smiled. "Yeah, it was fun."

Hinata shrugged, her mind was too much on the sight of how perfect Ino and Naruto would be together, how they looked good even as they sat next to her.

_Stop being jealous. Naruto wants you, not Ino. If he wanted to be with Ino, I'm sure he would have been by now while you were gone. Besides, didn't you see the way Ino was skanking up Shikamaru last night? If he hadn't left this morning I'm sure she would be with him now. _Hinata's thoughts snorted at her, and she decided to just let it go for now.

Sakura and Sasuke, hand in hand, wandered towards them from the water. They had been off swimming together.

Sakura plopped down onto her towel that she had laid out earlier. "Whew, that water is warm. I could see myself actually staying here forever."

Hinata cringed.

"Yeah, I can see why Hinata enjoyed it here so much!" Naruto agreed, taking his arm from around her shoulders and running his fingers through the sand.

Sasuke murmured something into Sakura's ear, and she giggled but remained silent about what he'd said. It made Hinata's heart twist, remembering her and Gaara's sweet moments. She kind of wished that Sakura and Sasuke would keep it down with the PDA knowing she had just gone through a break up, but she couldn't ask them to do that. What kind of a friend would she be if she wasn't supporting her best friend?

_Oh stop thinking about things and just lay on the beach and listen to the waves. Enjoy yourself for once. I know being single and unsure of who you want to be with sucks, but come on. _

Her mind was right, again. She would be able to do more thinking when she was back in Konoha and had about a week to think by herself before school started. Even then, during school she could think when she wasn't too busy.

"So what do you guys want to do now?" Sakura asked the group.

"Shopping?" Ino's brown eyes twinkled in the sunlight.

"Yeah! Sounds like a plan. What about you guys, are you interested?" Sakura asked Naruto and Sasuke.

Sasuke shrugged. "I suppose I'll tag along in case you run out of money, Sakura," he smirked.

Sakura swatted him playfully. "I've still got two hundred dollars left, and only a couple days left here. I think I'll do fine. Plane ticket is already paid for cause we got round trip tickets."

"Hn." Sasuke grunted in amusement.

Hinata stood, gathering her towel and beach things. "T-there's changing rooms, you guys know that, if you want to go and I'll watch your stuff."

"Alright. Naruto you stay with her. Ino, come with us and the there of us will get changed. Then we'll let those two get changed." Sakura pulled Ino up off her towel and the three of them headed towards the boardwalk.

Alone again, Hinata and Naruto packed up their things and sat down on a grassy dune, waiting for the others.

"I had fun today, Hinata. Despite what happened last night. I don't know what came over me." He cringed at the memory.

"M-me, too." Hinata agreed, leaning over to kiss him on the cheek. "D-don't worry about last night. I shouldn't have let it get that far."

Naruto grinned down at her, touching the spot where she had kissed him. "You're the best."

Hinata blushed, the butterflies returning once again when Naruto complimented her.

They spent the rest of the afternoon shopping and eating supper until the stores closed their doors. Sakura, Sasuke and Ino headed back to the hotel, while Hinata invited Naruto to stay with her for their last days in Suna. Perhaps that way, it would keep Gaara from trying to visit her as well.

Naruto and Hinata ended their day with playing video games, watching movies, and falling asleep in each other's arms.

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><p><strong>Astrocam: Yay, they're just friends again. Now Hinata has time to decide who she wants to be with in the long term. Hope you enjoyed and thanks to those who are leaving nice reveiws :)) <strong>


	11. Going Home

**Astrocam: Yay, new chapter. To be honest I didn't expect the story to end up this long...I'm hoping to wrap it up around chapter 15 but I guess I'll see where it takes me. I was planning on uploading this last night but I ended up having a busy day and zonking out before I could. Thanks for anyone who reads this, reviews and faves :) You all are awesome :D **

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><p><strong>Chapter Eleven – Going Home<strong>

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><p>Finally, the dreaded morning arrived: Hinata had to go back to Konoha. Naruto stayed with her at her apartment for the final days but they didn't do anything sexual, or even talk about what had happened the night of the reception. Hinata was glad she could trust him to not touch her when she didn't want him to. Well, in a way she wanted him to, but she had to figure herself out first.<p>

The two of them were packing their final things. Hinata gathered all the souvineers she'd bought and put them in the same back, wrapping them tightly so they wouldn't break. Her new clothing went in another bag, but she managed to shove most things in her suitcase. Some smaller things she had to put in her carry-on bag. She hadn't brought a lot, but she was definitely going home with more than she'd arrived with. That was a rule of thumb while traveling: you always seemed to come home with more than what you brought.

"Are we ready?" Naruto asked after shutting his suitcase. He looked around the room to make sure he hadn't missed anything.

"I-I think so." Hinata did have extra food leftover in the fridge, but the landlord assured her that he would take care of it before the next tenants arrived.

Her landlord showed up to bid her farewell. He told her she had been an excellent tenant, and if she needed references for a new place, he would gladly reference her. She thanked him and her and Naruto headed out to the taxi which was waiting for them. They would meet Sakura, Sasuke and Ino at the airport.

Hinata sighed longingly as the apartment complex she'd lived in for the past three months faded into the distance for the last time. She'd had some great memories in that apartment. Luckily, she had taken a lot of photos to help her remember as the years went by.

They drove past the beach, and Hinata again felt a stab of sadness in her heart. She wasn't sure when she'd be back to this lovely place. They drove through town and past the spot where Hinata had nearly been robbed, where she had saved Matsuri. The memory was still vivid in her mind, she doubted it would ever go away.

She felt a tear prick her eye as the town got smaller and smaller behind them. Soon enough, she saw the airport.

"Are you ok, Hinata? You've been quiet this whole drive," Naruto commented.

"I-I just might miss it here, that's all." Hinata wiped at her eyes to keep the tears from coming.

"It's ok. I'm sure you'll be back to visit." Naruto encouraged her.

"M-maybe."

Then she remembered to text Gaara. **Hey, Gaara. I'm almost at the airport, but our flight doesn't leave for another two hours. We just have to get through security. Do you want to come here and meet us at Gate Five in thirty minutes? We should be through security by then.**

**I was wondering when you'd get around to texting me, but then again I suppose you have had a busy morning. You should have texted me earlier, I would have driven everyone who could fit in my car to the airport. Anyway I'll be there in a half hour.**

Damn, she hadn't thought of asking Gaara to drive them. Oh well, no sense in bringing it up now. Perhaps she was getting over her obsession with him. She was over her obsession with Naruto, but she definitely still had feelings for him.

She turned to face Naruto. "G-Gaara will be here in a half over."

"At least you'll get to say goodbye to him."

"Y-yeah." Then she continued to look out the window until they reached the airport a few moments later.

They were a few minutes later getting through security than Hinata had expected, but when they finally reached Gate Five, she saw his familiar crimson hair and sparks lit up inside her. She grinned from ear to ear, setting down her bags and running to meet him.

"Gaara!" she cried, burying her face in his chest, not caring that Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura, Ino and probably the few other people who were at the gate were watching.

She had missed him more than she'd realized.

He wrapped his arms around her. "Hey, babe." Even though they were just friends, he still called her babe. It was different, but she liked it.

"I-I'm going to miss you and Suna," she whispered, fighting the tears again, looking up at him.

He smirked. "I know, I'll definitely miss you too."

Hinata found it odd that he was smiling. He was supposed to be sad that she was leaving. "W-why are you smiling?" she asked him.

"You'll see. I can't tell you yet."

"Oh." That was odd, but she let it go.

After a few moments, they pulled apart. She didn't want Naruto to get too jealous.

"So, what do you want to do until your plane gets here?" Gaara asked, going back with her to where she had dropped her bags to help her collect them. Naruto, Ino, Sasuke and Sakura were already sitting down in a vacant row of chairs, so Hinata went over to them and sat beside Naruto. Gaara sat on the other side of her.

She shrugged in response to his question. "T-there's not much to do in an hour and a half."

"There are a few little gift stores in this airport, and some restaurants, I could take you around," Gaara offered.

Hinata nodded, then looked at her bags. "I-I don't want to carry my stuff around."

"I'll watch your things," Naruto piped up. "I don't plan on going anywhere, and if I have to use the washroom or something I'm sure these guys won't mind."

Everyone agreed, and so Hinata stood up to follow Gaara away from the gate, thanking her friends before she left them.

Being with Gaara felt so...natural. With Naruto it was rather awkward, but even just walking beside Gaara, Hinata could tell the difference immediately. Naruto was more like a friend, but since she had been with Gaara sexually she felt more of the boyfriend/girlfriend kind of bond with him.

This was a tough decision.

They stopped at a few gift stores, and Hinata bought a couple more things. A thank you gift (a coffee mug) for her father for helping her out the last few months, and a small necklace for Hanabi, her younger sister. She also bought a post card for her cousin Neji.

"Are you hungry? Your flight leaves in forty-five minutes," Gaara kept his eye on his watch.

"Y-yes, I didn't really get to eat breakfast," Hinata admitted.

"Alright, do you want a breakfast sandwich?"

"S-sure."

They stopped at a restaurant where Hinata ordered a breakfast sandwich and Gaara paid for it for her. She also ordered a bottle of water that she could take on the plane.

"Arigato," she told him as she sat down at a table to eat it.

He sat across from her. "It's probably the last thing I'll be able to buy for you for a while," he murmured, almost sadly.

Hinata patted his arm. "I-I still have my necklace."

"Really?" his eyes brightened a little.

"Yes. I'll wear it, too." she assured him.

He reached over to squeeze her hand. "I'll miss you, a lot. I don't know why I was a dick to you that night, and I've kicked myself ever since. Because of me, Naruto came along and only confused you even more. I'm an idiot."

"D-don't beat yourself up over this. I-it's long distance anyway," she reminded him. "You can be with Matsuri."

Gaara scoffed. "Hah, yeah right. The chick asked me out last night."

Colour drained from Hinata's face. Even though she had just told Gaara he could be with Matsuri, the idea of him actually being with another girl was still quite hurtful. "W-what did you say?"

"Just to be nice, I told her that I was waiting to see what your final decision was in the end. She tried to convince me not to do the long distance relationship thing. But I just told her I wasn't interested in looking for anyone right now since I had just broken up with you. She was pretty upset and stormed off, and I haven't heard from her since." Gaara smirked at the memory.

Hinata breathed a sigh of relief. "G-good."

"You really don't want me to be with her, do you?" he brushed his thumb along her knuckles.

"N-no." she admitted, her face turning red. "B-but it's probably because we just broke up almost a w-week ago."

"True."

Suddenly, Gaara's ever-present radio chimed in, and Hinata recognized Baki's voice.

"Officer Gaara, you're needed over at the beach. There's some crazy chick trying to jump off the cliffs on the rocks, and she is demanding that she speak to you before she goes. I know this is your week off, but she says that she'll jump if you don't show up and none of us can talk her out of it. If we try to touch her, she goes ballistic."

"Shit," Gaara cursed, at the dilemma and at the fact that his last moments with Hinata were cut short. He spoke into his radio, "I'll be right there." Then he shut it off.

Hinata's heart sank. She still had a half hour left before her plane arrived. She wished she could go with him to see what was going on, but that wouldn't be allowed. Officers weren't allowed to bring civilians with them to things like this.

She had an idea she knew who the girl was though. _Probably Matsuri,_ she snorted. It was pretty pathetic if the girl was trying to kill herself because Gaara had refused to date her.

Gaara stood, and Hinata did the same. "I'm sorry I have to cut our time short," he grumbled, frustrated. "I'll text you and let you know what happened. Let me walk you back to the gate first."

Hinata deposited the wrapper of her sandwich into the garbage and they walked back to her gate, where Sakura and Sasuke were patiently waiting. Ino and Naruto were nowhere to be seen, and a sinking feeling overwhelmed Hinata but she turned to face Gaara.

"Arigato, for everything," she murmured, giving him another huge hug.

He responded by hugging her back, and kissing her on the top of the head. "Have a safe flight. Text me when you get off the plane, and I'll let you know how the situation turned out."

As he walked away, Hinata felt her heart want to follow him. She watched him until he was out of sight, then turned and headed back to Sakura and Sasuke, who were watching her with sad expressions on their faces. They must be feeling sad for her.

"I-I'm fine," she tried to reassure them as she sat down beside Sakura.

"You look like you're about to cry," Sakura reached over and gave her a hug. "I'm sure you'll see Gaara again."

When Sakura said those words, they were Hinata's undoing and the tears suddenly poured out of her eyes like a waterfall. Sakura kept her arms around her, trying to shield her from any passer-by who cared to look.

Naruto and Ino returned.

"What's wrong with Hina-chan?" Naruto asked, sitting on the other side of Hinata.

"She's upset because Gaara's gone," Sakura said quietly.

"Oh," Naruto murmured and Hinata felt a hand rub her back. She couldn't see Naruto as her face was buried in Sakura's arms but she felt his comforting touch.

Finally, Hinata managed to calm down just before their flight was announced. She was so curious as to what the situation was on Suna beach, but she couldn't leave her friends just to find out. She'd have to wait until she landed in Konoha before hearing from Gaara.

* * *

><p>She ended up sitting next to a young mother and her crying baby. Hinata cringed, wishing she had gotten a seat next to Naruto. She didn't want to ask the woman to switch seats with Naruto, so she settled in and placed her earphones in her ears, turning the volume up at max. At least she was by the window, so she could stare outside at the blue sky and clouds, and try not to focus on the baby crying.<p>

The young woman looked at Hinata apologetically. She looked like she wanted to say something, so Hinata took her earphones out for a second and fiddled with her mp3 player.

"I'm so sorry, he's normally not like this, but he doesn't like flying at all," the woman murmured, obviously embarrassed.

Hinata shrugged, unsure what to say to a stranger. "I-it's ok." _Not really, just get me the #$%$#% home..._

"I feel bad when he's like this, but I can't do much." The woman tried desperately to get the baby to take a soother but he just kept spitting it out and crying again.

_I don't want to talk to you..._ Hinata wanted to wallow in her own self-pity at the loss of Gaara and leaving Suna behind, but this woman seemed determined to make small talk with her.

"He's only a few months old," the woman went on, oblivious to Hinata's annoyed expression. "I knew I should have put him up for adoption, because I can't handle this right now, I'm too young. I still have a whole life ahead of me. I don't know why I decided to keep him. I'm only nineteen..." she rambled.

Hinata was shocked. _Nineteen? Wow, that's really young to be a mother..._

"...but the father didn't want anything to do with me when he found out I was pregnant. I know I should have used protection. It was a stupid, drunk one night stand. I was in Suna this past week to try and convince the father to help me raise him, but he won't..."

It was then Hinata caught a glimpse of the baby's hair from under his hat. His hair was crimson red.

_Holy shit...who else do you know in Suna who has red hair like that?_

_You don't think...Gaara...?_

_Well, who else?_

_He wouldn't have dated me all that time and not told me he was a father!_

_Maybe, if it was just to get in your pants. Guys lie about everything._

_Shit..._ Hinata continued to listen to the woman's rambling for most of the flight, in her mind all she was thinking about was that it was Gaara's kid. About an hour into the flight, the baby finally cried itself to sleep. Hinata was itching to text Gaara, but she couldn't because well, she was on a plane. She glanced behind her and spotted Naruto a few rows back on the opposite side, who was leaning his head back on the chair, his eyes closed, obviously sleeping. Sitting beside him was Sakura. Sasuke and Ino were separated, but they weren't too far from each other. Hinata wished she was Sakura.

_Gaara has a kid, Gaara has a kid..._ her thoughts taunted her until they landed. The young woman got up rather quickly, said good-bye to Hinata, grabbed her carry on and rushed off the plane as if she was going to meet someone.

Hinata waited for her friends to walk by her seat before she joined them in the rush of passengers. As soon as she was off the plane in Konoha airport, her father was there to greet her.

She jogged to meet him. "Father," she nodded politely. She couldn't help but smile despite the fact that she was feeling exhausted from the flight and the possibility that Gaara might have a child that he lied to her about, or rather, failed to tell her about.

"Hinata, good to see you. Suna has treated you well, I see," Hiashi gave her an approving look. "Whatever happened to that Gaara fellow?"

Hinata shrugged. "W-we broke up, but we're still friends."

"I see. I hope it wasn't too hurtful. Anyway, Hanabi and Neji are gathering your luggage, so we'll be leaving here in a few minutes. I am glad you arrived safely." Hiashi didn't reach out to give her a welcoming hug, but her father was like that. Very strict and polite, although he could be harsh and cold with her at times.

_If only you knew, Father,_ Hinata thought sadly as she strode along behind her father. Everyone else was currently meeting up with whoever was bringing them home. Then she turned and saw Naruto sitting by himself at the gate where they had just left the plane.

He had no one to meet him.

"Father, wait," Hinata spoke up.

Her father turned around. "What is it?"

"Naruto doesn't have any parents as you know. C-could we give him a lift to his apartment so he doesn't have to get a t-taxi?"

"Doesn't he have a guardian?" Hiashi's eyes narrowed.

"Yes, but he's old enough to live on his own now which he does."

"Fine, I suppose that will be all right. Go fetch him, then." Hiashi stood there and waited for her to get Naruto.

Hinata approached Naruto, who looked tired despite having slept on the flight. "W-would you like me and dad to give you a lift? He doesn't mind."

Naruto smiled softly. "That would be great. I was just about to call a taxi." he picked up his bags and followed Hinata over to where Hiashi was standing. Hanabi and Neji were carrying Hinata's few bags.

"Thank you sir, for giving me a lift," Naruto slightly bowed his head in respect.

"You're welcome. Does everyone have everything?"

"Yes."

"Then let's head out to the car."

* * *

><p>Later that night, when the flurry of moving back in and unpacking her things was done with, Hinata finally flopped onto her bed. Oh, how she missed this bed more than she realized. She had texted Gaara to assure him that she had made it safely home, but she hadn't gotten a chance to really talk with him. So she sent him a message.<p>

**Hello, Gaara. I hope it's not too late. **

**No, it's fine, I'm awake. How are you?**

**Well, I haven't got a chance to talk to you until now, so I thought I would come straight out and ask: do you have a kid?**

**What? You've got to be kidding.**

**No...** and then she texted him the entire story of what had happened on the plane, with the young mother and the crimson-haired child.

He responded with: **That kid would belong to my asshole of a cousin, Sasori. He has red hair like me, and looks a lot like me too.**

Hinata blinked. She hadn't known Gaara had a cousin. Well, she hadn't really thought about it at all to be honest. So she typed, **I didn't know you had a cousin.**

**We all do, don't we? Anyway, Sasori was fucking around with a couple of girls about a year ago, I thought it was awful what he was doing to them to mess with their minds. He would tell one that he loved her, but be fucking the other one on the side, etc, you get my point. One night he got drunk and didn't use a condom with one of them. Well, you can guess what happened. **

Oh, my. So that woman had been Sasori's girlfriend...er, fuck buddy? Well, in her mind she had probably thought she was his girlfriend, but didn't know that he was cheating on her with some other girl.

**Wow, Gaara-kun, I had no idea.**

**I don't tell anyone this cause Sasori made me swear. But I know I can trust you, besides you had the scare on the plane so you need to know this. Anyway, that girl was the one he had the drunken sex with. She came to him about a month later telling him she was pregnant. He dumped her, saying he didn't want anything to do with her, and continued fucking the other girl. Well, Sasori got a surprise when the pregnant girl moved away to Konoha so her family could help her raise the baby. But again, he was glad she wasn't involved with him anymore. Then, she returned the last week you were here with the baby, demanding that Sasori help her. Of course the bastard refused. **

This was a lot to take in. Hinata yawned, perhaps she shouldn't have texted Gaara this late at night. She would probably fall asleep while texting him.

**I'm so glad it's not you,** she sighed with relief.

**I'm not stupid like my cousin. I'd never do that. Now Sasori is single and on the prowl again, I guess he hasn't learned his lesson.**

Hinata closed her eyes and found herself dozing off, so she quickly typed **I guess he didn't learn. But I'm really tired, so I'm going to bed now. Good night :) **

**Night, babe. I miss you already, I wish I was in your bed with you.**

She barely even read his message before closing her eyes and falling into a dreamless sleep.

* * *

><p>Hinata woke the next morning with the sun streaming in her window. Oh, how she'd missed that. Her bedroom in Konoha hadn't had a window, because it was on the inner part of her apartment.<p>

She saw that she had a message from Gaara, sent ten minutes ago. She opened it and read it.

**Hey babe, I miss you so much. I wish I could wake up and see your beautiful face next to me. I guess I have to wait for your decision, and I feel like a dick everyday for hurting you, but I hope that one day we can try again. I hope you have a good day in Konoha today. **

Her heart melted. Soon she would have to start listing the pros and cons of Naruto and Gaara, and make her decision. Perhaps time apart from Gaara would make her see what her heart truly wanted.

She typed back to him: **I miss you too, Gaara. I still need some time, but I wish that I could see you again today.** A lump formed in her throat, thinking that if she was still in Suna she would likely have hung out with Gaara today.

**If we were still together, the things I would do to you...** he went on to describe some particularly naughty things, and Hinata almost caved and went back to Suna.

**Gaara, if you don't stop, I won't hesitate to leave Konoha again,** she warned, almost panting from being turned on by what he said.

**That's the plan,** he wrote back. Hinata could almost see his smile.

They continued to chat for a while until Hinata's father called her down for breakfast. Then she decided to make some plans for the day with her Konoha friends to keep her mind off of missing Gaara.

* * *

><p><strong>Astrocam: Aww, Gaara's so cute ^.^ I wonder what he'd really be like if he got a girlfriend... would he be romantic and sappy like that, or protective, or non-romantic but fun? Or would he be more cautious since he's been hurt a lot in the past? Leave your thoughts in the reviews, I'm curious to see what you have to say about this topic :D <strong>


	12. An Unlikely Pair

**Astrocam: Yay, new chapter :D I must warn you all there is a lemon warning near the end of this chapter, so if you don't like that stuff then stop reading now. **

**Warning 2: There is a pairing that probably a lot of people will get upset with me for. But again, if you don't like this pair no need to leave a comment saying "omg why did you do that" or "you're a terrible writer for putting those two together". **

**Even if the Naruto characters aren't my characters, this story is still my plot to do with as I please. And I felt this was the best way to resolve the drama. So, here it goes. **

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Twelve - An Unlikely Pair<strong>

* * *

><p>Hinata also remembered to ask Gaara about what happened on the beach with the suicidal girl. He explained to her that the girl had been Matsuri, and she was upset that Gaara had refused to date her despite Hinata moving away. So she felt like she should purposely put herself in harm's way, she knew that Gaara and Hinata had met by fate, and Matsuri was trying to copy that.<p>

Matsuri told Gaara that she wouldn't jump if he agreed to date her. He still refused, but told her that if she killed herself, she would miss any chance of having him date her at all, not that he really wanted to, but he would say anything to get her to not jump. Finally, she stepped away from the cliff and hugged Gaara, who just stood there patting her back and pretending like he cared. They got her to the police car and back home safely.

Hinata was glad that Matsuri hadn't jumped, but in a way she was worried that what if Gaara changed his mind the more time he spent with Matsuri? Well, if that happened it would make Hinata's decision much easier, she decided.

After eating breakfast, Naruto texted her and he came over to pick her up. The gang was heading to the park today to celebrate Hinata's return to Konoha. Ino, Sakura, Sasuke, Shikamaru, Chouji, Rock Lee, Tenten, and Neji were there to hang out for the day. Sakura had bought a "welcome home Hinata" cake. Hinata was grateful to have such good friends. She couldn't wait to catch up with everyone.

During the party, Hinata chatted with several of her friends. A lot of them commented on her new looks, and it made her blush. She hadn't realized how much she'd missed them.

Rock Lee and Tenten were talking to her about her Suna adventures when she noticed that Naruto and Ino seemed to be in deep conversation off to the side of the group. She tried to ignore it and keep her focus on Rock Lee and Tenten who were pounding her with questions, but she couldn't help but sneak a glance at Naruto and Ino once in a while.

What was it about those two? Something just wasn't right here. They were acting too cuddly and buddy buddy to be just friends.

Rock Lee and Tenten were suddenly distracted by Sakura's announcement that she was going to start handing out pieces of cake. Everyone crowded around so they could get a piece. Naruto and Ino joined the group, gathered their pieces and walked off to be alone again. Hinata watched them carefully while she picked at her cake. It just didn't add up.

When Naruto and Ino were finished eating, they tossed their plastic plates in a garbage can and the two of them headed even farther away from the group. Jealousy boiled inside Hinata. Where were they going?

Sakura approached Hinata, so Hinata announced that she had to go the washroom. Luckily the washrooms were not in plain view of everyone, so no one would know if she really went to the washroom or not. They were all too busy stuffing their faces or talking to each other anyway.

Hinata dumped her trash in the garbage can and followed Ino and Naruto at a distance. She knew that no one from the group would guess what she was doing, because the washrooms were in this direction.

The farther they got from the group, the more cuddly Ino and Naruto became with each other. They would purposely brush against each other, put arms around each other, and even hold hands for a few seconds. Hinata wanted to rage, but she kept her calm as she followed them. She had to know their real status before she could really panic or have another heartbreak. But something just wasn't right.

Finally, Ino and Naruto stopped in a secluded area, that had a bench off the side of the road. The two of them sat on the bench. Hinata found a good hiding spot in the bushes. They hadn't seen her yet, but she could see them clearly. She could even hear what they were saying now, as she dared to creep even closer.

"...Naruto, I don't know why you want to date me. What about Hinata? I know you love her and she loves you."

"Why should I stay single and wait for her to make a decision when she's obviously going to choose Gaara anyway? Besides...you're not so bad yourself."

Ino giggled. "Naruto, you're cute. But I don't know, this could really hurt Hinata if she found out. After Gaara broke up with her she was devastated. This would only add to her heartbreak. Do you want to be a jerk like that?"

Naruto shrugged. "She hurt me a lot when I went to Suna. I saw her and Gaara having sex. I was going there to tell her I wanted to be with her. Now I don't know, I mean if she can play me like that. Like, after Gaara broke up with her, she kissed me in front of Gaara, then dated me for like two seconds before running back to him. It's all just a mess. If I date you, it will make her decision easier. And get me out of that triangle."

Hinata cringed. She knew she had hurt Naruto. But she didn't know she had hurt him this much, that he couldn't wait for her to decide anymore.

"That's true, I guess. She's not a bad person, you know. She had no idea that you liked her, because you never showed it."

"I should have told her sooner. I just didn't know how, or what to do. I didn't want to screw it up. But it looks like I wasn't the one to screw it up after all."

_Does he hate me?_ The thought made Hinata want to cry, but she had to keep silent to hear what else he had to say.

"I just want her to be happy, but I want to be happy too. I'm tired of being hurt by her."

Ino looked up at him. "Are you dating me just as a rebound? To get back at her?"

"No."

"You're not going to dump me once you realize that Hinata is hurt, right?"

"Right. She has Gaara to go back to. If she is really upset by this."

Ino smiled. "All right, then. Yes, Naruto. I will be your girlfriend."

Naruto grinned, then leaned down and kissed Ino passionately on the lips.

Hinata felt her heart break for the second time in a week. The air was squeezed out of her lungs. Because of her, Naruto was gone. He didn't want any part of her anymore. Well, that was fine. She had Gaara. Gaara would never hurt her like this.

Just then, her phone vibrated rather loudly in the silence. Naruto and Ino split apart, looking around for the source of the sound.

_Shit, they're going to find you,_ Hinata panicked, reaching into her pocked for the phone and quickly checking the message.

It was from Gaara.

She didn't have time to read it. She had to get out of there.

"It sounded like a phone vibrating, but it wasn't my phone or yours," Ino checked her phone for any messages. Naruto did the same.

"Maybe it was a creature or something," Naruto shrugged. "I'm not too worried."

_Don't cry, don't cry, just sneak away,_ Hinata tried to stay calm. She turned around, but the t-shirt she was wearing got caught on a bush, and she tripped and fell. _Dammit._

"Someone's watching us!"

"Hey, who's there?"

Hinata didn't have the strength to stand. Her heart was broken. Inkblots stained her vision. Her knee hurt from the impact. Instead of standing up to run away, she laid there, broken. She didn't want to live anymore. She was a horrible person for everything she had put Gaara and Naruto through.

"Hinata? Why are you laying in the bushes?"

"Naruto, I think she heard everything we said."

"Shit."

"Now you regret dating me."

"No. I just don't know why she's not standing up or moving."

_Because I want to die,_ was the first thought that came to Hinata's mind, but she didn't make another move or sound. She felt Ino and Naruto kneel beside her.

"Hinata, are you hurt?" Ino asked gently.

_Not at all,_ she thought but stayed silent. She wished she had hit her head and passed out.

Her phone vibrated again. _Gaara. I need you._

"That's the sound we heard earlier," Ino observed.

Hinata closed her eyes, imagining Gaara's touch, his gentle love. She missed him desperately. She needed him at this moment.

"Hinata?" Naruto touched her arm, gently shaking her. "Why aren't you talking?"

_I'm just tired. _She sighed, wanting them to leave her alone so she could rot into the forest floor.

"She's obviously hurt. She probably doesn't want to talk to us. Can you run up and find Sakura? She'll know what to do. I'll stay here with her. Make sure that no one else from the party comes, only Sakura and maybe Sasuke. You stay behind and entertain the party guests."

"Will do."

Hinata heard the sounds of Naruto's feet running away, then Ino's voice soothing her.

"Hinata, it'll be ok. I'm sorry that all of this has happened to you. When Sakura and Sasuke come, I'll leave so you can talk to them. You obviously love Naruto a lot, and didn't mean to hurt him. You couldn't help but fall for Gaara, but who could blame you, he was pretty attractive. And if Naruto didn't even tell you that he liked you, he was kind of late, wasn't he?"

Hinata listened to Ino's babble, but didn't pay attention or respond in any way. All she could think about was that she wanted to be back in Suna with Gaara.

"What's wrong with Hinata?" came another familiar voice a few moments later.

"I don't know. Me and Naruto were talking, then we heard someone in the bushes. She tried to run to avoid being caught but tripped and fell. I'm sure she's all right, but she never got up. She's just been lying here and refuses to talk to us. Maybe you and Sasuke could help her better than we could. I think she's upset that Naruto and I are together now."

"We'll talk to her. Naruto is with the others, I suggest you go back there too." Sakura sounded upset.

"Right. I'm sorry."

When Ino was gone, Hinata lifted her head to see Sakura and Sasuke kneeling over her.

"It _was_ them you didn't want to talk to," Sakura realized, reaching a hand to help her friend sit up.

Hinata took her hand and sat up, realizing that she had scraped her knee on the fall and was bleeding. "I-I'm fine," she whispered, still not really wanting to talk to anyone but Gaara.

Sakura sighed. "Hinata...I know it hurts, but Naruto is an asshole. This whole situation was messed up. He shouldn't have done what he did, knowing you were trying to heal. I knew that him and Ino were hanging out more while you were gone, but I didn't think they would stoop this low. I guess I should have warned you, but I didn't think you and Gaara were going to break up."

Hinata just groaned miserably, ignoring the throbbing pain in her knee. "I-I don't know what to do, Sakura-chan." _I don't want to live anymore. Tired of being hurt._

In a surprising gesture, Sasuke, who had been relatively quiet as normal, reached out to place a hand on her bleeding knee. "I'll talk to Naruto for you. I'm not going to tell him to break up with Ino, that would be wrong. I'll just tell him how badly you feel about everything. And if there's anything else you want me to say, let me know."

Hinata nodded, grateful for Sasuke's kindness. If anyone could get through to Naruto, it was his best friend. "Arigato," she smiled shyly.

Sasuke pulled his hand away, wiping it on the grass to clean off Hinata's blood. "We need to get you cleaned up," he murmured.

Sakura smiled at Sasuke, then winked at Hinata. "He's so cute when he openly cares about someone. I know he cares about you."

Sasuke "hned" and looked away as if embarrassed, shoving his hands in his jean pockets.

Hinata couldn't help but grin at Sasuke's obvious discomfort at showing emotion like this, so she leaned forward with open arms to embrace him.

He was startled, but pulled out his hands from his pockets to hug her back.

"Aww! That's adorable, I haven't seen him hug anyone besides me in a long time, if ever," Sakura cooed, clapping her hands.

Hinata couldn't help but feel a tingling sensation as she pulled away from Sasuke after a few seconds. Sasuke was rather attractive. She had been the only girl at school who hadn't been in love with him, because she'd been obsessing over Naruto. But, now that Naruto was gone, Hinata could see what everyone else saw in Sasuke. He was...hot.

_Don't you dare fall for Sakura's husband just because he gave you a hug, you're already going through enough,_ her thoughts put her in her place, and she cleared her throat.

Sasuke was looking her in the eyes, and she couldn't help but wonder if he had felt what she had felt.

_No. Stop it. You don't want to ruin your friendship with Sakura too._

"So, are you ready to go back to everyone else, Hinata?" Sakura asked a few seconds later, breaking her out of her dazed state.

Hinata nodded. "I-I think so. But Gaara texted me, I never got to write back to him."

"We'll wait while you do that. I'm sure we have some napkins or something back there that you can use to wipe up your knee." Sakura stood, followed by Sasuke. Hinata clambered up off the forest floor as well, reaching into her pocket for her phone.

Gaara's first message read, **Hey, babe, how are you today?** Then, a few minutes later, he sent, **I'd give anything to have you with me now.**

She could feel tears in her eyes, but she couldn't cry now. Instead, she swallowed the urge to cry and typed back to him, **I miss you so much, Gaara. I need you right now.**

He immediately answered. **What's wrong?**

Hinata loved that he could somehow sense when she was distressed. **I'll tell you later. I'm a little busy now, they had a welcome home party for me. **

**Alright. I'll be here when you need me. **

Hinata slid her phone back into her pocket, following Sakura and Sasuke back out to where the others were gathered on picnic tables. Her eyes found Naruto and Ino, who were talking and laughing, as if they didn't care what they had just done to her. Her heart cringed. She knew she deserved this for the way she'd treated Naruto. But that didn't make the hurt any easier.

Rock Lee was the first to notice her. "Hey, Hina-chan, what happened to your knee?" he asked, rather loudly to Hinata's embarrassment. Heads turned, and people murmured.

"I-I just tripped," she sniffled, grabbing a napkin off a table, sitting down and dabbing at her knee. It stung like a bitch, but soon she got it cleaned up. It would be fine, it didn't need stitches.

While she was finishing with her knee, she felt a presence loom over her.

"I'm sorry."

"Go away," she murmured darkly without even looking at him. She just wanted Naruto to leave her alone.

"I hurt you. I didn't mean to."

"Yeah, right."

"Why are you being so cold? I said I'm sorry."

Something inside Hinata snapped. She tossed the bloody napkin in a garbage can, and whirled on her seat to face Naruto, who was sitting opposite her on the bench. "I loved you. We had a moment, back on the rocks at school before Kiba interrupted us. I was going to confess after you kissed me, but you ignored me for those few months before I left. Then I move to Suna, met Gaara and fell for him. I decided since you were ignoring me, that I might as well be with someone who made me happy, and Gaara did that. He made me happy for a few months. When he broke my heart, I went back to you as a comfort because you have always been there for me. I didn't expect to kiss you. I didn't expect that shit to go down. I apologized for it, and I thought you understood. But to date Ino the day after I come home just to spite me? Thanks, I really appreciate it." With that, she stood up and was about to head to her car, but Naruto managed to grab her arm before she got too far.

"Hina-chan, please hear me out. I've been hanging out with Ino since you've been gone. I've realized she's a nice girl and we have quite a few things in common. I still had strong feelings for you, but my feelings for Ino were confusing me. When I went to Suna and saw you with Gaara, I was really hurt and confused even more. I was prepared to ask you to be my girlfriend. But then when I saw you with Gaara, and you picked him, I just...didn't know anymore. I guess when you left me at Sakura's reception to go have sex with Gaara, it confirmed for me that you're not ready for me. So I realized I should be with Ino, because she doesn't have ex's or drama in her life."

Hinata folded her arms across her chest, glaring up at Naruto, pouring all her emotion into her eyes so he could hopefully see how upset she was. "I came back to the party," she pointed out in a low, almost gravely voice.

Naruto seemed surprised by her obvious hate. "I know. But that doesn't change the fact that you still left me for him."

Touche. "You knew that I still loved you, but you went with Ino anyway. I was being single for a while to get in touch with myself. I might have picked you. In fact, I was strongly leaning towards picking you. But now, I don't see that happening. Ever. Goodbye, Naruto."

With that, Hyuuga Hinata turned on her heel and stormed towards the parking lot, leaving Naruto behind forever.

Once inside her car, all the anger and frustration she had held in at the party came pouring out like a waterfall, and soon she was soaked in her tears.

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><p>Two weeks later, Hinata was in school concentrating on her work, when she received a text message. Since it was a working class today, she could basically do what she wanted so long as she was getting work done. The teachers here didn't have a problem with students using cell phones.<p>

It was Gaara.

A smile instantly lit up her face. She loved getting messages from Gaara. Now that they were officially together again, everything seemed to be looking up. Despite the fact that she hadn't seen him in three weeks and missed him like crazy.

He wrote, **Hey, babe. Are you busy right now?**

**I'm just in a working class, why?**

**Well, do you have anything coming up that you need to be working on?**

**Not really, I've pretty much got everything caught up. Why are you asking?**

**Which classroom is yours again?**

**I told you, it's number five on the first floor. Why? **

**Well, I've been lonely.**

Suddenly, a knock came on the door of Hinata's classroom. Since her teacher was not in the classroom, Hinata stood up to open the door.

The sight of the jade-eyed, crimson-haired man brought tears of joy to her eyes, and she launched herself into his arms shamelessly, ignoring the curious looks of her classmates.

Gaara wrapped his arms tightly around her. "I've missed you so much," he whispered, kissing her on the top of the head.

"What are you doing here?" she clung to him for dear life, nearly ripping his shirt with the force of her grip.

"I'll explain. Care to get your things, so we can hang out for the day?"

"Just the day?" Hinata was a little bit disappointed.

"No, I'm here in Konoha for a week." he smiled that devious smile that Hinata loved, and she grinned back at him.

She then hurried to get her things, then told one of her classmates to tell their teacher that she had left for an important engagement. Not that her teacher cared too much about whether the students came or stayed for working days.

Hinata and Gaara barely made it to Hinata's car before launching themselves at each other again, only this time it was less G-rated. Hinata put her hands on the back of Gaara's head, pulling his lips as close as she could. Gaara tangled his fingers in her long, violet hair, which had grown out quite a bit since she'd gotten it cut back in Suna.

"Mmmm," she moaned when he stuck his tongue into her mouth. She touched her tongue with his, not realizing until now how deprived she had been of his touch.

"You're...so...hot..." he murmured between kisses.

Instantly turned on, she reached down across the console of the car to touch Gaara over his pants, feeling his erection. She wanted him, here and now.

"Now?" he breathed as if reading her mind. He grinded his erection against her hand.

She nodded, then proceeded to crawl over the console so that she was now sitting on Gaara's lap, facing him. It was a bit awkward in the cramped space, but that didn't matter. She needed him.

She wasted no time in pulling her shirt up so that he could lick and suck her nipples. The sensation was amazing. She hadn't realized how much she'd missed this.

In return, she reached down to unbutton his pants and pull them down, springing his erection free. She took him in her hands, pumping his shaft up and down. He groaned, his mouth still on one nipple, his free hand teasing her other nipple.

They stayed like this for a few minutes, until Hinata was teased enough and just wanted him inside her.

"Turn around," he instructed. "It'll be easier that way."

Carefully, she turned so that her back was facing him. She grabbed his erection in her hand to guide him inside her, easing down onto him. It hurt a little bit because she was so tight after not having sex for a few weeks, but she quickly got used to the feeling of him inside her again.

He gasped, then put his hands on her waist to help her pump her body up and down.

She was so glad she had parked near the back of the parking lot in a more secluded spot. If anyone came out to their cars now, they would certainly get an eyeful. Mostly they would see her breasts bouncing up and down as she fucked Gaara. But she didn't care. Right now, all that mattered was how amazing Gaara was making her feel.

It didn't take either of them long to come.

"Ahhh! Ah! Ah!" Hinata cried out as she experienced orgasm after orgasm while Gaara still pumped her.

Instead of pulling out like she expected him to, he suddenly grabbed her shoulders and pressed her body down on him while he spilled his seed inside her.

The feeling of hot cum inside of her was the most incredible feeling she had ever experienced. Gaara seemed to enjoy it too, for he moaned her name before going limp and releasing her.

It took her a few moments to come down from her high. When she finally pulled herself up off of him, it hit her then.

"Gaara...we didn't use a condom."

"Shit."

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><p><strong>Astrocam: Uh oh. Looks like they might be in trouble. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please no hate comments or flames. <strong>


	13. Elation

**Astrocam: While some of you I'm sure will assume the worst, here's the story: The morning after pill does not abort a pregnancy. It contains a high dose of hormones that are in birth control pills. These hormones can prevent you from getting pregnant. It works 99% - 75% of the time. However if you are already pregnant, it won't do anything.**

**With that little disclaimer out of the way, let's get on with the chapter. Lemon warnings. **

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><p><strong>Chapter Thirteen – Elation<strong>

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><p>"I'm sorry, I should have thought," Gaara murmured when they both had their clothes on and were sitting properly in Hinata's car, with Hinata in the driver's seat. "I was just too excited to see you. To be honest, I didn't expect to do it in your car."<p>

Hinata reached over and patted his arm, though she was just as scared as he was. "I-it'll be all right. I'll get the morning after pill. If we get it and I take it as soon as possible, t-there's much less chance of me ending up pregnant."

"I'll help pay for it. How much is it?"

"Thirty dollars. I haven't had to b-buy it before, but I know Sakura-chan had a few scares with Sasuke. The morning after pill w-worked for her."

"Wow, that much for a pill? But it's better than having to pay for a child the rest of our lives I guess," Gaara sighed, taking her hand and squeezing it. "Sasori should have thought of this, but him and the girl were drunk, and he would have no idea about this pill."

Hinata smiled a little. "I don't want to be sad now, b-because I've had a lot of stress happen as you know."

"Yes, I know, with Naruto and Ino together now," Gaara said Naruto's name with disgust, as if it was poison. "Have you spoken to him since?"

"No. A-and he hasn't bothered with me, either." Hinata was a little sad about that, but she had Gaara now. She didn't need Naruto.

"Good, he doesn't deserve you anymore. Where can we get this pill?"

"The drug store, b-but we have to ask for it over the counter. It's not a big deal, I-I went with Sakura-chan when she asked for it. No one will judge us."

"Let's go now, then."

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><p>Hinata took the pills soon after, and she felt better mentally. This would definitely decrease the risk of her becoming pregnant. She could tell that Gaara felt better, as well.<p>

After she took the pills, he gave her a hug.

"Next time, condom for sure," he promised. "I was an idiot."

"No worries," she assured him.

"What do you want to do now?" he asked. They were sitting in her car in the parking lot of the drug store they had just been in to purchase the pill.

"Get rid of these packages so no one finds out," Hinata gestured to the pill packages. "There's a garbage can over there by the edge of the parking lot."

Gaara wrapped the packages up in a plastic bag. "I'll take it over, you just wait here."

He left the car, and Hinata watched him walk across the parking lot. He returned moments later.

She decided to ask him what had been on her mind since she had seen him outside her classroom. "So, care to tell me w-what you are doing here?" she couldn't help but grin.

He grinned back. "I got a week off, everyone at work knew I was missing you. They could even tell when we got back together by how I was acting. So even though I just had a week off to recover, they agreed that things in Suna were pretty quiet, and it would be ok to let me come and visit you. I have money saved up, but I have no use for it really. So I used some of it for this vacation."

Hinata was happy that he had decided to do this. She had him to herself for a week, besides while she was at school. "B-but you won't have anything to do while I'm at school," she pointed out. "I don't get off school until four."

Gaara shrugged. "I'll find something. It'll be cool to just chill out at your place for a while. I've been working like a dog since I recovered."

"So where are your bags and things?" Hinata wondered why he hadn't carried any bags with him.

"At your place. I've already met your dad. He was surprised by my showing up, but he seemed all right with it. I got to your school by taxi." Gaara grinned mischievously.

Hinata, herself, was surprised that her father was all right with her boyfriend staying for a week. He knew that her and Gaara had gotten back together, but lately he definitely seemed more lenient than usual. Perhaps he was realizing that his daughter was growing up, and he could no longer control her every move.

"I'm staying in the guestroom of course," Gaara went on. "Your house is nice. I didn't know your family had money."

"It's not something I t-talk about much," Hinata blushed. "I-I don't want people to think I'm bragging. Only my friends who have b-been to my house know."

Gaara smiled. "True. I guess I should have known by all the shopping you did in Suna without having a job," he winked teasingly.

Hinata sighed, reaching over to take his hand. She was glad he had come to see her. "I missed you so much," she murmured.

"I missed you, too." Gaara leaned over the console to kiss her gently on the lips.

"D-do you want to go back to my place? I'll give you an official tour." Hinata was excited to show him around her house, and Konoha in general. She had seen all of Suna. Now it was his turn to experience her way of living.

"Sounds good."

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><p>After a few days, Hinata noticed that her younger sister, Hanabi was starting to cling to Gaara. Hanabi wasn't home much because she was at that age where you had to be with your bffs all the time. But when she was home, she followed Gaara around like a lost puppy.<p>

It annoyed Hinata.

Other than her sister's obvious attraction to her boyfriend, Hinata enjoyed having Gaara meet her family. Her father and even Neji, her cousin, approved. Her father liked the fact that Gaara was a police officer, so he could better protect his daughter. At dinner, Gaara would tell her family stories of what he had experienced in his short time in the force. Hinata was glad her father liked having Gaara around.

On Gaara's fourth day, him and Hinata went to the park where Hinata had witnessed Naruto and Ino's shenanigans. Hinata just wanted to spend some time outside and away from her family for a day.

They ended up walking past the bench that Hinata had watched Naruto ask Ino to be his girlfriend. She cringed, but kept going, taking Gaara's hand and squeezing it. She was happy, now.

Hinata had a plan. She was taking Gaara to a more secluded spot. Since she had done it with him in a car, she wanted to be bold and try new places other than just a bed. She had already discussed this with Gaara, and he agreed. Doing it in public was always a risk, but she knew that this area of the park was rarely visited as it was far off the path normally traveled. Most people just stayed around the main area of the park with the playground and picnic tables.

Hinata only knew of these places due to her and Naruto's many times traveling this park. It made her sad to remember the good old days, but she knew that they would never be that close again.

It took her and Gaara about fifteen minutes to walk there, but she knew she had found the perfect spot when she spotted what she had been looking for.

It was a clump of trees about ten feet off the path, well-sheltered but with just enough space for people to lay down. Hinata only knew of this place because her and Naruto had discovered it on one of their many journeys. Of course back then, neither had any idea that they had feelings for each other, so nothing ever happened between them.

_Stop thinking about Naruto. Gaara is right beside you._

"Perfect," Gaara nodded in approval before suddenly grabbing her around the waist and pulling her close, kissing her with such intensity that Hinata almost lost her balance. She clung to him, brushing her fingers through his hair, returning his passion.

This time, they had thought ahead and Gaara had slipped a condom into his pocket before they'd left the house. They couldn't afford anymore accidents.

He reached his hand up under her shirt to feel her breasts over her bra. She moaned, pushing her breast into his hand. She could feel his erection against her hip already. She loved how kissing him made her forget everything, helped her release stress that had been building up.

He pulled her shirt up over her breasts, then pulled her bra down so that her breasts were exposed. He kissed her mouth, then moved down to her neck, then finally his lips latched onto a nipple and he licked and sucked until it drove her crazy. She pulled his pants down, releasing his erection, then grabbed onto him, pumping him up and down while he sucked her nipples.

"You're so beautiful," he breathed through the torture of her nipples.

She gasped, grabbing his butt and pulling him close, grinding her pelvis against his. She wanted to feel him inside of her.

He gently laid her down under the clump of trees. They were still wearing clothes so they didn't get prickled by the forest floor, but Gaara tugged Hinata's pants down just so she was exposed enough so that he could enter her.

Frustrated that her pants were not letting her open her legs wider, Hinata kicked her sneakers off and then disposed of her pants, kicking them off to the side.

"Do you need a shirt to lay on or anything?" Gaara panted while he rubbed his erection on her clitoris.

"No!" She was being pricked a little bit by the pine needles, but she didn't care because she just wanted Gaara inside her.

This time, he remembered the condom, and put it on. He found his way inside of her seconds later, and she gasped, wrapping her arms around his neck. She matched him thrust for thrust, desperate to feel him as deep as possible inside her.

She was really glad she had not gone all the way with Naruto, even if they had come close. After what he had done to her with Ino, and how he was ignoring her now, she definitely would have regretted having sex with him.

Gaara hit a spot that made all thoughts of Naruto disappear as Hinata cried out. "Ah!" She grabbed his butt again, pressing him deeper into her. He was taking her to a new high, pushing her higher, higher.

"I love you," he murmured against her neck, kissing her there.

"I...love...you...too, Gaara," she whispered, barely able to speak due to the pleasure she was feeling.

"Fuck..." he gasped when he finally let go.

Hinata exploded, once, twice, three times. The longer Gaara was inside her, the more she came. She wasn't one of those people who only did it once, then was done.

After they rode out their orgasms, Gaara kissed her on the lips before pulling slowly out of her. Then he tugged the used condom off, wrapping it in kleenex that he had brought and setting it on the ground. He'd put it in a garbage can once they got to one.

Hinata was panting from her efforts. She loved having sex with Gaara. It was one of her favorite passtimes, and she realized how much she missed doing it with him whenever she could. The long distance thing wasn't fun.

Gaara laid his head on her still exposed breasts, wrapping an arm around her stomach. "I love your pillows."

She giggled at that. "Pillows?"

"You know..." he wiggled his head around on her breasts. "They're soft."

Hinata sighed contentedly, brushing her fingers through Gaara's crimson hair. She loved the colour of his hair, it was very unusual and sexy. She looked up at the canopy of the cluster of trees surrounding them, then sun was peering through the leaves. It was almost like a disco ball the way the sunlight was filtering through.

"I love being here with you, like this," he murmured. "Just the two of us."

"M-me, too," she agreed.

Then he reached up to playfully grab her breast and squeeze it.

Just that was enough to leave her wanting more. She loved having her breasts played with. They were so sensitive and it made her the most turned on when Gaara went for them first.

Gaara looked up at her, then brought his mouth down to the nearest nipple and licked.

She gripped the forest floor with her hands as he began teasing her nipples again. "W-we only had one condom," she reminded him.

"That's ok. A little oral doesn't hurt." He grinned wickedly, sitting up so that he was leaning on one of his elbows, still beside her, with one of her nipples in his mouth and his other hand inching its way down her body towards her entrance.

He stopped at her stomach, rubbing her there sensually, teasing her by going just close enough to her clitoris then pulling away just when she thought he was going to put a finger in. Finally she could take it no longer and grabbed his hand, pointing his finger just outside her entrance.

He slowly inserted his finger inside her, and she gasped when he hit just the right spot.

Over and over again, his fingers brushed the spot. Hinata couldn't count how many times she orgasmed. He started with one finger, then moved to two and eventually three. All the while he was doing this, he was licking and sucking her nipples, adding to the sensation.

After about ten minutes, Hinata was exhausted and her mouth was dry from all the liquid that had left her body. Gaara pulled his fingers out of her, wiping them on the grass, and lifted his mouth from her sore nipples.

He grinned. "Was that good?"

"Mmhmm," was all she could muster. She could feel her pussy twitching.

Gaara kissed her on the lips, then tugged her bra and shirt down over her breasts. He helped her get dressed, then he zipped up his pants. Hinata could barely stand, she was still shaking from what he had just done.

They sat back down, and she wrapped her arms around his neck.

"I love you," she said softly, kissing him on the cheek. "You're the best."

"No, you are."

Hinata knew she would cherish this moment forever.

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><p>A few months later, it was getting close to Christmastime. Hinata had not seen Gaara since he had spent that wonderful week with her in Konoha. However, they talked everyday and sometimes went on Skype so they could see each other. She had not had sex since the last time with Gaara, and it was driving her crazy. But her and Gaara's relationship was still going strong, despite the distance. She knew that Matsuri had made a few more passes at him, but he declined. Eventually she gave up and found someone else to chase after – namely Gaara's cousin, Sasori.<p>

Hinata was doing well in school, and in a way she was kind of glad that Gaara lived a bit of a distance away, or else she would be extremely distracted and probably not even want to think of school. She knew that if she'd ended up with Naruto, who lived in the same country, work would never get done.

Speaking of Naruto, she hadn't had a real conversation with him since that day in the park. She'd seen him in public and talked to him, but barely ever talked to him online anymore. He posted photos of himself and Ino together, and it hurt Hinata at first but eventually she gave up caring. Mostly she was jealous that Naruto could see Ino whenever he wanted, but she had to wait a long time before she saw Gaara again.

She was also grateful that the morning after pill had worked, therefore she wasn't pregnant. She couldn't afford to have a child right now. It would definitely ruin her career.

On her last day of school before Christmas break, Sakura texted her. Sakura and Sasuke were getting along really well together, they had had a real honeymoon and gone to Hawaii for two weeks. Now they were back. They both still planned on going to school, but would be starting in January instead of September like they had originally planned.

**Hey Hinata, what's up?**

**Not much, just hanging around school for the last day. You?**

**We're having a Christmas party. Yes, Naruto and Ino will be there, I'd feel bad to exclude them. The party is tomorrow night. I hope you'll come.**

Hinata thought for a minute. Was she ready to deal with more of Ino and Naruto's shenanigans? She had stopped caring about what they posted on Facebook, so surely she could deal with it in person.

She typed back, **Sure, I'll be there.**

**Great. Sasuke will tell Naruto to behave with Ino, but who knows if he will listen. He hasn't listened to anyone at all lately. **

**Yeah I know, it's ok. **

**It's like he's a completely different person. I haven't really spoken to him much in a couple of weeks, but I see him posting crap about Ino on Facebook. So I know he's been online, he just doesn't talk to me much anymore.**

**I haven't spoken to him in almost a month. It's really annoying what they write about each other on Facebook, but I don't seem to care much anymore.**

**That's good. At least you're getting over him. I'm glad you're with Gaara, and you two seem to be happy despite the distance.**

**We are. I'm glad I picked Gaara too. It's been going so well.**

**I'm glad. I hope you'll get to see him again soon.**

**Me, too. What time is the party?**

**It starts at seven. If you want to bring gifts for anyone you can, we're not having a secret Santa or anything. **

Hinata was grateful for that. She was never fond of secret Santas, when they'd had them in school. She'd always been to shy to go up and give that person their gift. The teacher would have to do it for her. Now, though, things were different. Since meeting Gaara, she became much more confident. Especially after what she had gone through.

She did buy gifts for Sakura and Sasuke, but didn't bother with a gift for Naruto this year, as she had all other years before. She figured Naruto wouldn't notice anyway.

For the newly married couple, Hinata had bought a picture frame collage so they could put photos from their wedding in it, and hang it up on the wall. She knew they didn't have anything like that yet, though Sakura had been wanting one.

The rest of her last day of school went by rather quickly now that she had something to look forward to.

She texted Gaara as she was leaving the school and heading out to her car, telling him about the party. He told her to have a good time, and that he wished he could be there to celebrate Christmas with her. However, his next message left her feeling light-hearted:

**I have some good news. I may be able to come back to Konoha after December 27****th****.**

**Really? Why?**

**I've asked for time off again. I haven't had a break in three months since I visited you last time, I figured I'm due for another. Besides, it's Christmas. **

**I can't wait :D I love you Gaara. What did you get me for Christmas?**

**I love you, too, and you'll just have to see ;) And what did you get for me, my dear?**

**Oh, I don't know. It would ruin the surprise now, wouldn't it?**

**Too true. And I like surprises. And I know you do too, so I won't tell you either :P**

Hinata loved when Gaara was in a playful mood. And now that she possibly had another chance to see him, she was elated. Nothing could bring her mood down, now. Absolutely nothing.

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><p><strong>Astrocam: Yay, everything's going smoothly now. Just hope things don't get awkward with Naruto and Ino at the party. <strong>


	14. Fateful Night

**Astrocam: This chapter's a little shorter than normal, but I figured it was a good place to end it. Thank you for the positive feedback :) To be honest I didn't expect this story to go this far at all, but I have had a lot of fun writing it and I hope you guys enjoy reading it :) **

**That being said, I have no idea when this story will end. I was hoping by chapter 15, but then I'm not very good at planning ahead with my stories, I usually just go with it. But I think that I'm seeing an ending somewhere on the horizon so it'll probably be finished anywhere between 15 - 20 chapters. I guess we'll have to see ;)**

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><p><strong>Chapter Fourteen – Fateful Night<strong>

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><p>Hinata decided to get a bit dressed up for the party. Why not? It was Christmas. Besides, people dressed up for parties anyway.<p>

Not only that, she kind of hoped that Naruto would notice her.

_Why? You're with Gaara now. Who cares what Naruto says about you._

_I know. But I just...want to see if he will notice if I make an effort. Or if he's completely infatuated with Ino by now._

_I'm sure he's infatuated, so don't get your hopes up. _

_Yeah, yeah._ Hinata dismissed her thoughts, then got up off of her bed to try and pick out an outfit. She had a few hours before the party, but sometimes for her, now that she knew more about fashion, trying to decide on an outfit from her new clothes took a while. It made her miss her simple jeans, t-shirts and jackets.

She finally found a white tank top which she would pair with darkwash skinny jeans, and a long, flowy red cardigan. The cardigan was long-sleeved, so it would be perfect because the weather was chilly now. She also found a silver sparkly scarf and red flats with silver detailing on the toe. And, she also would wear Gaara's necklace, as she wore it everyday. It was the perfect holiday outfit, and not too crazy with the Christmas theme. She knew some people would probably be wearing tacky Christmas sweaters or flashing Christmas lights earrings.

Her phone vibrated just as she began to change into the outfit.

It was from Gaara. It seemed like him and Sakura were the only ones who texted her now. Her last message from Naruto had been on the day of the party, before he'd come to pick her up.

Gaara wrote, **Hope you have fun at your party tonight, but not too much fun. Remember, you're mine.**

She giggled, then typed, **Yes, yours. And you're mine. **

**I know. Don't let them feed you too much alcohol. I don't want to deal with a drunken Hinata when I get there on the 28****th****.**

**Even if I got a hangover, it would be over by then I would think. :P**

**Knowing you, Miss Lightweight, probably not.**

**Hey now. So little trust in me, Mr. Paranoid.**

**I trust you. It's that Naruto douchebag I don't trust.**

**Well then trust me when I tell you I won't let him touch me. I love you. After what he's done to me, I'm definitely over him now.**

**Good. So, what are you wearing?**

**You caught me at an awkward time. You see, Mr. Sabaku, I am right in the middle of taking my shirt off.**

**Excellent. I won't keep you, then, Miss Hyuuga. Send me a photo of you in your outfit when you're done. I'll go finish what you just started. **

**And what exactly did I just start?**

**You know. I haven't had sex in three months. It's pretty easy to turn me on. And I've just pictured you with your shirt off.**

**Oh, my. Well, I'll leave you to your naughty duties, and send you a photo.** Hinata's heart was fluttering as she remembered having sex with Gaara in the woods. She continued to tease him and say naughty things while she was getting dressed for the party, helping him to release his sexual tension. She, herself was turned on as well, picturing Gaara doing what he was doing, but she didn't have time to pleasure herself as she was getting ready.

Leaving the house sexually bothered was a pain, and though Gaara had thankfully stopped teasing her, she was still turned on and wanted sex badly.

When she reached Sakura and Sasuke's place, there were already a few cars in the rather large driveway. It was odd that the place wasn't just Sasuke's mansion now, it was Sasuke and Sakura's.

She parked in a spot that would be easy to get out of later. As she'd predicted, the air was chilly, but there still wasn't any snow yet.

Sakura welcomed her with open arms, then immediately started gushing about her outfit.

"Ahh, it's so cute! You're adorable!" Sakura kissed her on both cheeks.

Hinata blushed. "T-thanks, you look nice, too."

Sakura twirled, her red dress spinning out around her. "I love this dress. Sasuke does, too. I teased him way too much before guests started arriving. He'll deal with me later." Her eyes sparkled at this.

Hinata giggled, but was secretly jealous. She wished she could see Gaara whenever she wanted.

Stepping aside, Sakura let Hinata in, and she noticed a few people in the kitchen.

One of them saw her right away, and his eyes lit up.

"Hinata!"

"Kiba!" _I'm glad you interrupted me before I could confess to Naruto. Everything happens for a reason. I love my life now. Thank you._ Her thoughts were going insane as Kiba rushed up to give her a huge hug, lifting her off the floor.

"I haven't seen you since you've come home!" he laughed, setting her back down and holding her at arm's length, staring into her eyes. "You look good. Different. I like it."

She blushed. Kiba looked handsome, too. With his messy brown hair and deep brown eyes, along with the outfit he was wearing, he was rather attractive. "A-arigato," she told him shyly.

"I should get your phone number, so we can hang out sometime," he went on.

"I-I have a boyfriend," she murmured apologetically. "You know that f-from Facebook."

Kiba shrugged. "So? That doesn't mean we can't hang out."

_I don't need anymore guys causing drama,_ she sighed. "I'll see."

"What? Your boyfriend doesn't want you hanging out with friends?" Kiba snorted.

_I know you liked me. You would probably like me again if we hung out more, and I can't deal with that. _ "I said, I'll see. I'm busy with school and stuff too," she reminded him.

At that, he lightened up. "True. Sorry. What are you taking?"

So they launched into a conversation while Sakura went to the other guests and Sasuke. Shikamaru, Tenten, Chouji and Rock Lee were there. A few more people had yet to show up, including Naruto and Ino.

Hinata ended up hanging around Kiba pretty much the entire night. A couple hours into the party, Naruto and Ino were still a no show, but almost everyone else who was invited had arrived.

Sakura was a little miffed at Naruto and Ino. "Man, where are those two? I tried texting them, and calling, but not a word," she grumbled to Hinata and Kiba.

Kiba shrugged. "Who knows? Naruto's never blown off a party before."

"Exactly. He loves parties, and get-togethers. I'm pissed. That's the last time I'm inviting him."

"Yeah, really, what a douchebag move," Kiba frowned. "I wonder why he's acting so strange lately."

"It's because of him and Ino getting together," Sakura told him. "He thinks the sun rises and sets with her."

"True." Kiba rolled his eyes. "So lame when that happens."

Hinata listened to their banter, but inside she was feeling...a little disappointed. She had wanted Naruto to see her all dressed up, so that he could think "Man I missed out" but instead he didn't show up at all. She'd hoped to make him jealous, make him regret not dating her when he had the chance.

Her phone vibrated.

It was Gaara, as usual.

**Hey, babe. How's the party?**

**Good. Naruto and Ino didn't show up. I miss you.**

**I miss you, too. Wish I could be there, but I'm glad they aren't there to cause you more grief. **

Suddenly, Sakura's cell phone rang. She answered, and the more she talked, the more her face went completely white, like she had seen a ghost.

"W-what? Where?...When? O-ok...a few of us will drop by...thanks..." she hung up, her eyes wide. "Naruto and Ino were in a car accident. Ino's in a coma. Naruto's awake, and he's been asking for his friends, namely me, you and Sasuke," Sakura gestured to Hinata. Then tears started spilling down her cheeks. "I feel awful. SASUKE-KUN!" she screeched, and everyone at the party went silent to stare at her.

"Man, that's not good," Kiba sympathized. "I hope they're all right."

Hinata's heart dropped. Naruto...in an accident. Ino in a coma.

Sakura informed everyone at the party of the news. Everyone was sympathetic, and they cut the party short to let Sakura, Sasuke and Hinata visit Naruto. Sakura promised to give updates as soon as she was able.

Hinata followed Sakura and Sasuke out to their vehicle, leaving hers in their driveway. She'd get it later. Right now she needed to be with her friend.

_But he betrayed you. So did Ino. Why should you care?_

_Because that's what a real friend does. I can't let what they did stop me from seeing them in the hospital after an accident. _

She texted Gaara to let him know of the news. He was sympathetic as well, but she could tell by the way he was writing that he didn't feel sorry for Naruto one bit. In fact, he was probably glad, so that maybe Naruto would learn his lesson and not hurt Hinata anymore.

_Am I being a pushover by going to see him despite what happened? He's alive. So is Ino._

_But Ino's in a coma. She may not live._

That thought turned her mood from cheery to somber in less than five seconds. The news of their accident was finally starting to sink in.

This was serious. Ino could die.

* * *

><p>With Sasuke driving as fast as he could without pushing the speed limit too much, they made it to the hospital in about ten minutes. Once inside, Sakura took charge, asking where she could visit Uzumaki Naruto and Yamanaka Ino. Instead of giving her directions, the receptionist eyed her. "What relation are you to Naruto and Ino?"<p>

"Best friends," Sakura twitched. "Why?"

"I'm sorry, but only family is allowed to visit them at this time."

"Naruto is asking to see us! He has no family! We are his family!" Sakura groaned, exasperated.

The receptionist raised her eyebrows. "I'm sorry, but they need rest. You may see them tomorrow."

"No!" Sakura looked so angry that Hinata was afraid she would unleash her fury at the woman.

Sasuke suddenly stepped up, and said in his attractive, "I'm-not-taking-any-bullshit" voice, "Naruto is like my brother. Sakura and Ino are like sisters. I think we should have the privilege of seeing our best friend. We just got the call that he was asking for us. If he wants to see us, I think he should be able to."

The receptionist was obviously swooned by Sasuke's dark looks. "I understand. But what about her?" she gestured to Hinata.

Hinata spoke up. "I-I dated him. We are best friends." It was a bit of an exaggeration, but anything to see him.

"Fine, I can see you're not going to give up. Go to the third floor and wait in the waiting room for further instructions." The receptionist glanced greedily at Sasuke one last time before going back to her paperwork.

Sakura kissed him on the cheek as they headed up. "I love having a sexy husband."

"Hn," Sasuke shoved his hands in his pockets, then whispered something to Sakura that Hinata couldn't hear. Sakura's eyes lit up, and she kissed him on the mouth.

She felt awkward when the three of them were in the elevator. Sakura was constantly touching Sasuke. Whether it be holding hands, or arms wrapped around him for comfort. Hinata understood that it was upsetting to learn when someone's best friend was in an accident, but she wished that Sakura had more respect when it came to PDA. Sasuke was fine, he knew what the boundaries were, but Sakura obviously did not.

They finally made it to the third floor, where they checked in with the receptionist up there and found the waiting room.

Hinata remembered going through this when she'd been so worried about Gaara, that fateful night of him breaking her heart. She shuddered at the memory. Dealing with her boyfriend being shot, then having him break up with her that same night was one of the worst things she'd ever had to go through. She was so glad they were happy together, now.

About fifteen minutes later, a doctor came into the room. "I'm look for anyone who is here to visit Uzumaki Naruto and Yamanaka Ino."

Sasuke, Sakura and Hinata stood up. "That's us," Sakura announced.

"Ino's parents are still with her, but are leaving shortly for the night. Naruto's still awake, but starting to get tired, so I'm afraid you'll have to make it short," the doctor told them.

They followed him to Naruto's room, and Hinata barely recognized the blonde-haired boy under all his bandages. It was a shock to see him like this.

Once the doctor left the room, Naruto spoke first.

"I'm sorry I missed your party, Sakura-chan," he almost whispered. Hinata could tell that he was obviously tired. "I was on the way, I really was. We were running late and then..."

Sakura took his hand gently. "Hush, Naruto-kun. It's fine. I'm glad you're all right. You can tell us in the morning."

Naruto moved a little, then winced. "I have bruised ribs, a sprained wrist, and lots of cuts and bruises, some of the cuts needed stitches. But I guess I'm in better shape than Ino. I feel awful, in more ways than one."

"Are they going to press charges?" Sasuke asked.

"No. It was a stupid accident. Ino's parents won't charge me. They knew that it was the other driver's fault. He ran into us, on Ino's side." Naruto looked as though he could barely keep his eyelids open. Then he spotted Hinata. "Hina-chan? You came?" he use the nickname she'd loved.

She nodded. "W-why wouldn't I?"

"Because of the way I treated you..." he trailed off, his eyelids closing even more. "Damn this morphine. You look pretty." Was the last words out of his mouth before his eyelids shut and his breathing became slow, even. He was asleep.

The doctor came in the room moments later. "Naruto will be asleep for the night now. He needs to rest. Ino's parents have left, you can see her but only for a few minutes."

Sakura kissed Naruto's hand before setting it back down on the bed, and they followed the doctor again out to another room down the hall.

Hinata's heart was fluttering. _He said you look pretty. He noticed, despite being drugged. Or maybe it was the drugs that made him say that._

"Oh, Ino..." Sakura murmured when they were alone in Ino's room. The doctor was standing just outside the windows.

Ino was covered in bandages as well, only there were more machines hooked up to her. A heart monitor, a ventilator, an IV, and whatever else was there Hinata didn't recognize. And Ino wasn't awake. Her eyes were closed, and she was motionless.

So this was what being in a coma looked like.

Sakura suddenly began to cry, throwing herself in Sasuke's arms. "T-this is too much, Sasuke-kun," she sobbed. "I've done this to my friends."

"It wasn't your fault. It was that other driver." Sasuke cradled her in his arms, helping her to stand, Hinata noticed.

"But if it weren't for my party, they wouldn't have been out on that road!" Sakura wiped at her eyes as tears streamed down her face.

The doctor returned to the room, gazing at them sadly. "I'm sorry, guys," he gestured for them to leave.

Hinata took one last look at Ino before they closed the door behind them.

"You may return tomorrow, and we'll call if there is any updates," the doctor assured them. "You left your phone numbers with the receptionist when you signed in. We'll let you know."

Sakura nodded, still crying silently. "Thank you, doctor."

The emotions of the night took their toll on Hinata as the three of them walked out to Sasuke's car. From being horny, to being excited about the party, then to have everything else come crashing down with news of Naruto and Ino, and now actually seeing them in the state they were in -

She burst out crying, as well.

"Hinata, please," Sakura murmured, releasing her hold on Sasuke long enough to hug Hinata. "You can stay the night at our place if you want. We have a guest room. Call your father and let him know."

Poor Sasuke. Having to deal with two girls crying, on top of his best friend being in an accident.

Hinata just nodded, then quickly called her father and told him about the accident. He agreed to having her stay the night. Sakura assured her that she had clothes that would fit her, and she could change into the next day so she wouldn't have to wear the same clothes again.

_But Naruto said I looked pretty._ In a way, she didn't want to change out of this outfit. Then again, he was drugged, so he likely wouldn't remember anyway.

Once they'd arrived at Sasuke's and Sakura's house...more like, mansion...Sakura gave her a pair of pajamas and a spare toothbrush. Hinata just wore her white tank top to bed with the pajama pants Sakura had given her. After brushing her teeth and washing her face free of make up, she was ready for bed. The guest room was on the first floor, so it had easy access to the washroom and kitchens. Sakura's and Sasuke's room was on the second floor.

Crawling into bed felt so nice. Thoughts were swimming in her mind about what Naruto had said about her looking pretty. She wondered if he really meant it, or if it was the drugs. _Why does it matter? You're with Gaara now._

_Yeah, but -_

_But what? You don't have feelings for Naruto anymore, so it shouldn't be an issue._

_It's nice to get a compliment._

_True. It makes us feel good._

_Exactly. _

Then she decided to text Gaara, but remembered that her phone was still in her purse, which was in Sasuke's car. She hadn't bothered to bring her purse with her into the house when they'd gotten back.

_Oh well. Gaara will live for one night. You just texted him a couple hours ago. It's fine._

_Fine. But I miss him. I want him here. _

_He'll be here in about a week. You've waited three months. A week is nothing._

_I'll be fine. Gaara, I miss you..._ was her last thought before drifting into a restless sleep.

* * *

><p><strong>Astrocam: Well, let's hope that everything turns out all right and that Ino survives. Then again you never know. It could take a turn for the worse. Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed :) <strong>


	15. Code Blue

**Astrocam: I don't really have a whole lot to say this time, except thank you to those who read and review :) I can't stop writing this story, and that's a good thing because usually my cut off point is like two or three chapters in, haha. Besides my novel of course. It's hard for me to start a story and keep going with it. So I'm glad this one's sticking :) **

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><p><strong>Chapter Fifteen – Code Blue<strong>

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><p>The next morning, Hinata woke in a daze. It took her a few seconds to remember where she was, and why she was here. Then she recalled everything in a rush.<p>

_Christmas party. Waiting for Naruto and Ino. Naruto. Ino. Accident. Naruto said I'm pretty. Ino in a coma. I'm at Sasuke's and Sakura's house. I left my phone in the car. I should text Gaara. He'll be worried._

She quickly got out of bed and got dressed in the clothes that Sakura let her borrow. Luckily they fit, even if they ended up being tight around her bosom area since she was bigger than Sakura. It was better than wearing the same clothes. _But Naruto said I'm pretty in that outfit._ She gazed longingly at the clothes she had tossed on the floor last night.

_Why are you still obsessing over that?_

_I don't know, maybe cause he hasn't given me a compliment in like, a few months?_

Sighing, she left the bedroom and saw that Sakura was sitting on the couch in the living room, watching TV. Sakura spotted her and smiled.

"Good sleep?" Sakura asked her.

Hinata nodded, a slight lie. She had been worrying about too many things to sleep restfully. "It's very c-comfortable." That part was true. It was a comfortable bed. "I-I just forgot my cell phone in your car. Can I go get it?"

"Sure, it's unlocked. Are you hungry? Sasuke is still sleeping, but I'm going to make breakfast soon. The smell will wake him up. It always does." Sakura giggled slightly at that.

Hinata smiled. "I-I am hungry. What are you having?"

"How does an omelet and toast with jam sound?"

"Great." Hinata went out to the entry way to put on her sneakers, then opened the front door and stepped out into the crisp, December morning air. It hadn't snowed yet, but it was definitely chilly. She shivered. Smart not to wear a jacket, but she was only going to be outside for a few minutes.

It didn't take her long to find her purse in Sasuke's car and pull out her cell phone.

Three messages from Gaara that were sent last night.

**How are you now? Are you home yet?**

**I'm kinda missing you. I hope you answer soon.**

**It's getting late. I guess you must have gone to bed. Good night, text tomorrow.**

Then, one that was sent this morning, a half hour ago:

**You haven't texted me yet. I'm getting kinda worried. Are you ok? How's Naruto?**

Hinata immediately wrote back, **I left my phone in Sasuke's car. I'm at him and Sakura's place. I stayed in the guestroom so that we could all see Naruto and Ino today. But you were the first thing I thought of when I woke up. Sorry I missed your messages. I miss you so much.**

He answered five seconds later. **Oh, I was wondering why you weren't answering. I miss you too, and I hate it when you don't answer. You know, being a police officer, a ton of things went through my head. **

Hinata cringed. From the way he was writing, she knew he was probably annoyed or pissed with her, or both. She always answered his messages, it was only a few times that something like this had happened, that she had forgotten her phone somewhere and wasn't able to reach him. Each time he reminded her of the police officer thing. That was one thing that annoyed her about him, but then again she would probably be just as worried if he didn't answer her messages.

She typed, **I'm sorry. I didn't mean to worry you. I was tired from everything that happened yesterday. And by the time I realized I'd left my phone in Sasuke's car, I was pretty much in bed. **

**I know. I shouldn't worry so much. I can't control you, you're not an object. You're under enough stress, so how can I be mad at you after what happened yesterday? I can't wait to get there and see your face again in person, and touch you.**

Something twitched inside of her when Gaara said that he couldn't wait to touch her. It had been three months. Too long.

She was cold so she headed back inside, opening up the door to the smell of eggs being cooked. She peeked in the kitchen and caught Sasuke and Sakura in an intimate moment. Sasuke was still in his pajama pants, with no shirt on, his hair messy as if he had just woken up. Sakura was standing at the stove watching the eggs, he was behind her with his arms around her waist, kissing her neck.

"Sasuke-kun...I'm trying to cook..." Sakura half-moaned. "Don't tease me."

Hinata wanted to turn around and bolt back outside, rather than interrupt their moment. Instead she stood still, clutching her cell phone in her hands, unable to take her eyes off the sight.

"But it's so hot when you cook." Sasuke murmured, and from the angle she was at Hinata could tell that his hands were moving up Sakura's body to her breasts.

"Hinata's outside! What if she looks in a window?" Sakura groaned, reaching behind Sasuke to scratch his back.

Hinata cringed at Sakura's comment. If only Sakura or Sasuke would turn around.

"So? That won't stop me from taking you here and now. You know I love it when you scratch me," Sasuke purred.

Hinata had never witnessed something this intimate before. She knew she was intruding, but it was oddly...intriguing. She couldn't take her eyes away from it.

_What are you doing? Get out of there, or make your presence known before they have sex right on the kitchen floor!_ Her mind screamed at her.

_But...what would it be like to watch someone else have sex?_ She wondered. This thought had never occurred to her before. Sure she had checked out some porn while being horny because of Gaara. But watching someone do it, in person?

Something stirred in her groin the longer she watched Sasuke and Sakura. She could feel herself getting turned on at the thought of watching those two have sex.

_What kind of pervert have you become?_ Her brain almost sighed as if a person would sigh.

She had to stop watching them before she decided to join in. That would be just too weird. So she tore her eyes away, turned around and rested her hand on the doorknob. She waited a few seconds before opening and shutting the door again, this time loudly. She made it look as though she had just come back inside.

Sasuke and Sakura both turned their heads to look at her, startled. Sasuke immediately backed away from Sakura, shoving his hands in his pockets to hide his excitement. Sakura grinned sheepishly before turning back to the omelets.

"So...um yeah, I'm going to get dressed," Sasuke stammered, then took the stairs two at a time.

Hinata couldn't help but giggle despite being turned on. Sasuke was pretty hot without his shirt. She figured not many people were lucky enough to see that sight.

She went into the kitchen and talked to Sakura. "S-sorry," she murmured.

"It's all right, I told Sasuke not to do that when we have guests. But sometimes he just gets excited in the mornings. It's a man thing." Sakura pulled down her shirt where Sasuke had lifted it up a little.

Hinata nodded. She knew that all too well. "Y-yeah, Gaara was bad for that."

Sakura rolled her eyes, but smiled. "Men."

"I know." Hinata agreed.

Sasuke came back downstairs about ten minutes later, looking refreshed, and Sakura was finished cooking breakfast. The three of them sat down at a table to eat. It was a bit awkward since Hinata had caught them in an intimate moment.

"So, I guess we'll probably leave here shortly after breakfast. I didn't get a phone call so I assume that things are still the same," Sakura murmured, taking a bite of her omelet. She glanced at Sasuke and blushed a bit.

Sasuke nodded. "Yeah, I think we would have heard if something changed overnight."

"I hope Ino comes out of her coma soon," Sakura sighed, her blush gone as she thought about her friend.

Hinata picked at her toast. The breakfast was good, she just wasn't overly hungry, but she'd managed to eat most of it. "M-me too," she agreed. "With coma patients you never know when they'll wake up."

She didn't need to finish the sentence that was left hanging in the air... _or if they'll wake up._

With their mood subdued, they cleaned up the dishes and got ready to go to the hospital.

* * *

><p>Naruto was awake when Hinata walked in his hospital room. She was alone, as Sakura and Sasuke went to visit Ino. They had already been visiting with Naruto, but Hinata needed some time alone with him. <em>He said I looked pretty, maybe he'll say it again today,<em> she thought, sitting down on the chair next to his bed.

He gave a faint smile. "Hello."

"Hey, how are y-you feeling?"

"Sore, groggy, but better than yesterday. Hopefully I'll be out of here in a week, probably just before Christmas. But I haven't been able to see Ino yet. How does she look?" There was obvious concern on his face for his girlfriend, and for once Hinata didn't feel jealous.

"She didn't look t-that good," she answered honestly. "She was unconscious and had these tubes and wires a-attached to her. She was covered in bandages like you, but I see some of yours a-are gone now," she observed.

Naruto winced at the image that Hinata had placed in his head. "Yeah, I'm past the threat of infection now so they took some of the bandages off. I don't want Ino to be in a coma. If anything happens to her, I swear to God I'll murder that other driver who hit us."

Hinata could tell that he was obviously getting agitated. She wanted to change the subject. "I know, I'm sure she will be ok," she assured him. "I'm glad you're getting out before Christmas. Gaara is coming to Konoha on the twenty-eighth." _Crap. I shouldn't have said anything about Gaara. That'll only make him worse._

Instead, to her surprise, Naruto gave a small grin. "Really? Haven't seen the bastard since I was in Suna. I know he was here in Konoha for a week a few months back, I saw your photos on Facebook. How long is he staying this time?"

"I'm not sure, probably for the rest of my break from school," Hinata didn't know if Naruto was insulting Gaara by calling him a bastard, or if it was a friendly gesture.

"Cool, maybe the four of us can double date," Naruto offered, then his face fell again. "That's if...you know."

Hinata instinctively placed a hand on his arm. "It'll be ok," she murmured, though she was unsure herself. "And yes, I would like that," she agreed to the double date.

Naruto looked down at her hand on his arm, then back up at her with a serious gaze on his face. "I'm really sorry for the way I treated you these last few months. I know that since Ino and I have been dating, I've been walking on my own cloud and ignoring everyone else besides her. Basically, she demands all my free time when I'm not working. I did get a new part time job to get me through until I try for school next September. But yeah, I just need to spend more time with my friends once this hospital stuff is done. And I hope she gets out of her coma."

Touched by his speech, Hinata felt tears in her eyes. "A-arigato, Naruto-kun. I hope she gets better, too. I forgive you." She could forgive him, but she wouldn't trust him right away. Trusting would take some time to build up again. He probably knew that, so she didn't need to say it. At least now he realized what he had done.

He sighed, as though a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. "I'm glad. I feel so much better to get that out of my system. I've been thinking about apologizing for a couple of weeks now, but haven't found the guts to do it until the accident made me realize that life is too short to treat the ones you love badly."

Hinata blushed. _He still loves me?_

_Well, probably not as a girlfriend. But at least he cares about you and apologized. _

Naruto continued. "I already apologized to Sasuke and Sakura when they were in here earlier, but made them promise not to tell you that I was going to say this to you as well."

"I'm glad that you realized what you've done," Hinata wiped at her eyes so she wouldn't cry. "And I'm glad you weren't hurt badly in the accident."

"Me, too. For both things." Naruto patted her arm. "I want to see Ino, though, but I'm not allowed out of bed yet besides to use the washroom. I know she'll be mad that I wasn't the first to see her."

"Does she r-really boss you around that much? I mean she'll know that you were in the a-accident with her," Hinata pointed out, worried that Ino was being a controlling girlfriend.

Naruto shrugged, then winced as his shoulder was sore. "She could be. It annoyed me a lot. I don't like to be controlled, you know that. But her and I weren't really friends until you left for Suna for the summer, then somehow we started talking and hanging out. She hasn't truly known me as long as you have."

Hinata felt rather flattered. Just as she was about to respond, her phone vibrated in her jeans pocket. At first, she was going to ignore it, but then Naruto mentioned it.

"Are you going to answer that?" he asked.

"It's probably just Gaara, him and Sakura are the only ones who text me now," she admitted.

"Sorry. I'll try and text you more, just that Ino steals my phone and reads my messages sometimes to make sure I'm not texting any girls or something. She knows that me and you have a history, so she didn't really want me to talk to you much. That was part of the reason of my absence."

Hinata was kind of surprised that Ino would be controlling. "S-she seemed fine when we were in Suna," she pointed out.

"Yeah but we weren't really dating then. She kind of liked me, and I kind of liked her, but I wasn't sure if it was going anywhere. I was still hooked on you then. By the way, I was drugged last night from painkillers, but I remember your outfit. And when I said you looked pretty, I meant it." he winked at her, giving her those familiar butterflies again.

Her phone vibrated yet again. Gaara sure was impatient.

Naruto's eyes narrowed. "I think you should answer that."

Just then, Sakura and Sasuke came back into the room. "Hey, bud," Sakura smiled.

"I-I have to use the washroom," Hinata wanted to get away for a few minutes so she could answer her phone, so that Gaara wouldn't be too worried.

Once inside a stall in the washroom, Hinata finally answered Gaara's texts.

He wrote, **Have you visited Naruto yet?**

Then a few minutes later was the next one, **I take it you're with him now since you're not answering me.**

Hinata had to roll her eyes at the last one. Sometimes he was a little overbearing. She never questioned him if he was with Matsuri or not.

So she wrote him back: **I was just with Naruto. He's awake, talking coherently. He apologized to me for everything that he put me through. He understands now what he did wrong. He wants me, you, him and Ino to go on a double date when you come. That's if Ino's out of her coma by then.**

It took Gaara a few seconds to respond. **So now he's going to go back to being your best friend? After all that drama? I don't like the idea of him being back in your life.**

**No. I'm not going to trust him right away. He knows that. But I forgive him.**

**Well... that's good for you I guess.**

**You don't sound pleased.**

**I just don't want him to hurt you again.**

Hinata sighed. She was a big girl, she could take care of herself. Why, even though they lived a two hours plane ride apart, did he feel the need to be constantly looking over her shoulder? Perhaps when he came to visit her, she would talk to him about it. But she didn't want to fight over it.

She came out of the washroom a few moments later, refreshed and eager to see Naruto again. Gaara didn't say anything more about her renewed friendship with Naruto, only warning her not to get too attached to Naruto again. Hinata agreed that she would not, and that it would take some time for her to be able to trust him like she used to.

Suddenly, alarms started beeping. Someone shouted, "Code blue!" and nurses and doctors raced down the hallway.

_Omigod...Ino!_ Hinata gasped, then in the chaos she quickly followed the doctors down the hall. Her heart sank when she saw them run into Ino's room and slam the door behind them.

Ino's heart monitor was flat-lined. Her parents were there, her mom sobbing, her dad holding her mom. Doctors rushed with paddles to try and revive her.

Hinata had never seen a dead body before. But she suspected she was looking at one now. It was eerie. One minute, Ino had been there. In a coma, but still there. Now...there was nothing. She was gone. Her body was a shell.

Once Ino was pronounced dead, the doctors allowed her parents to say a quick good-bye before they covered her with a sheet and started to wheel her out of the room. Hinata moved out of the way, then watched the bed that held Ino's body go down the hall and out of sight.

It all happened so fast. Ino's life was over in a second.

Ino's parents spotted Hinata, standing there, in shock.

"Hinata? What are you doing here?" Ino's father asked, since her mother was sobbing her eyes out at the moment. Ino's dad had a few tears rolling down his face as well.

"I-I just...was in the washroom and was going back to see...Naruto..." Hinata wasn't sure what to do. Should she cry or not? "T-then the code blue and..."

Ino's father placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "I'm glad Ino had good friends like you, and a boyfriend like Naruto to care for her in her last moments. Even if Naruto couldn't be there. Come, we'll all tell him together."

Hinata's heart was pounding as they entered Naruto's room. She had just witnessed a person die in front of her eyes. That person happened to be the girlfriend of one of her good friends. Even if she, herself, hadn't been great friends with Ino, it was still a horrible thing to witness.

Sasuke and Sakura were still with Naruto, and they were all concerned as they had heard the code blue as well.

"I am sorry, but...Ino...is no longer with us." Ino's father hung his head as he said the dreaded words to confirm that it was true.

Hinata watched Naruto's face. At first, he remained expressionless. As if he couldn't quite register what was happening. It was probably the initial shock and denial.

Then, his eyes found Hinata's, saw her haunted face, and he screamed.

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><p><strong>Astrocam: Aww, poor Naruto :( Poor Ino, and poor Hinata for witnessing it :( Sad ending to the chapter. But I hope you enjoyed anyway. <strong>


	16. Final Goodbyes

**Astrocam: I'm wondering if any of you guys who found this story from the beginning are still around? If so let me know. It'll be cool to see if anyone's still here. **

**Also, if you noticed the little cover art for this story? Yeah, I made it, but I don't own any of the photos – I stole them off Google. I just pasted them together. I love the one of Gaara and Hinata kissing, it's so adorable. XD**

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><p><strong>Chapter Sixteen – Final Goodbyes<strong>

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><p>Ino was buried a few days later, on December twenty-second. Naruto was well enough that he could leave the hospital now, but had to return after Christmas to get his injuries checked. He managed to make it to her funeral, snagging a ride with Hinata. Sasuke and Sakura went in their own car.<p>

The entire ride to the church, Naruto was silent. He barely even made eye contact with Hinata, just staring out the window the whole time. After he had first heard the news and screamed, his doctor had to give him a sedative to keep him from thrashing too much with his injuries. However, since then, he barely talked to anyone, only when he had to. Hinata was concerned. She had yet to tell him that she had witnessed Ino's death, but he probably knew.

"For Christmas, I got her a necklace that she had been wanting since we started dating, probably before that," Naruto said suddenly, breaking the silence. His voice was quiet, and he still didn't look at Hinata.

Hinata sighed sadly. "I-I'm sorry, Naruto-kun."

"She's wearing it now. I gave it to her parents, to give to the person who gets the bodies ready for the funeral. I thought she would like it."

Hinata wasn't sure what to say, so she just let him talk.

"You were there, weren't you?" he suddenly turned in her direction. "You saw her die."

She nodded slowly. "I-I did."

"What was it like?"

"I-I don't even know how to describe it. One minute she was there. The next...she wasn't. Then they unhooked her from the machines and covered her with a sheet, brought her body out to the hallway and took her away." Hinata cringed at the memory, and her vision became a little blurry. She was finally allowing herself to cry. She hadn't cried yet.

"Hey, don't cry, you're driving." Naruto suddenly reached over to put a hand on her arm. "Calm down until we get there."

"I-I shouldn't be the one crying," she sniffed, wiping her eyes free of tears but resisting the urge to sob.

Naruto shrugged. "I guess I just haven't registered it yet. I keep looking at Ino's last text message to me, before I picked her up that night." he reached into his pocket for his phone, pulled it out and opened it. "She wrote, **'I'm ready. You can come get me now. Can't wait to see you.' **Then I wrote back that I can't wait to see her either, and I bet she looks hot. She just sent me a smiley face after that. And that's it. It's just so weird, you know? That I can't even text her anymore."

Hinata nodded. "I-I know. I'm used to seeing her when I hang out with the gang, but now she won't be there. I didn't talk to her much, but..." she trailed off, unsure what to say.

"Yeah. It'll be weird for everyone to get used to. Hey, there's the church." Naruto gestured at a tall building with a steeple, and there was a graveyard beside it where Ino would be buried. People were already parked and heading into the building, wearing suits and black dresses. Some were crying, some were looking somber, others were chatting and laughing as if Ino's death had no affect on them whatsoever.

Hinata wanted to punch them. _This isn't a social gathering! We're remembering someone who has died, assholes! Save your socializing for after. _But she couldn't do anything. Ino's parents had personally invited everyone, including a lot of Ino's relatives that hadn't been very close with her. But they felt bad for excluding people.

Naruto also looked disgusted when he saw people chatting in groups. "Jerks. I bet if it was their girlfriend, they would be broken down on the ground."

They found a parking spot near the back of the lot. It was pretty crowded. Hinata wondered if Ino really knew this many people, or if most of them only knew her name.

Her and Naruto left the car, they walked by a group of people in black suits and dark coloured dresses, who were talking as if this was a party. Some wiseguy told a joke, and the people in the group started snickering.

Hinata glanced at Naruto and saw his hands clench into fists at his sides, but he just glared and walked quickly by them. Hinata had to jog to keep up.

"Sorry. I just didn't want to punch them." Naruto slowed down and unclenched his fists, but he was still visibly shaking. "Ino's parents saved places for me, you, Sakura and Sasuke at the front of the church, because we were her closest friends. Well, she was my girlfriend."

Hinata wasn't sure she liked the idea of looking at Ino's body the whole time, but what could she do? She couldn't turn that away. "T-that's nice of them."

_You've already seen her body once. What's different about now?_

_I don't know, I guess because it's the final goodbye, and this is really happening. She's really gone._

_True._

They entered the church, where several people were already sitting down. Some were openly crying, others were having a hard time controlling their emotions. Hinata recognized Sasuke and Sakura at the very front. They were both dressed in black, just as her and Naruto were. She also saw Shikamaru and Chouji, who were also good friends of Ino, in the second row from the front. A few people from their gang were there as well, including Rock Lee, Tenten, Hinata's cousin Neji, Kiba, and a few others. Ino's parents were also there.

Hinata and Naruto approached everyone. The gang all offered condolences to Naruto, who thanked them quietly. Before taking a seat, Naruto and Hinata approached Ino's open coffin.

Ino looked as though she could be asleep, although her face was not as bright in colour as it used to be. Her hands were crossed at her waist, holding a white lily. Her blonde hair was in its trademark ponytail, as requested by her parents. They wanted her to look as much in death as she had in life. She was wearing a purple t-shirt with darkwash skinny jeans, along with gold sparkly flats, something she would have worn in life.

Hinata glanced at Naruto, ready to comfort him if he needed it.

Instead, he smiled.

"Why are you smiling?" she asked.

"They put my necklace on her." He pointed to the necklace she was wearing around her neck.

It was a silver heart, with sparkling diamonds on one side of the heart. Hinata was a little jealous, then remembered her infinity necklace that Gaara had given her. She was wearing it now, as she wore it everyday.

Hinata then felt like she should put something in Ino's coffin, but she wasn't sure what. The only thing she had on her was her necklace and she didn't want to give that up. Her and Ino weren't that close. If it had been Sakura, then possibly.

"I-is there anything I can put in her coffin?" she asked Naruto.

Naruto looked around. "Well...these flowers are fake. I'm sure they won't notice one missing." He nonchalantly picked a flower from the bouquet beside Ino's coffin, and handed it to Hinata.

Hinata placed it by Ino's head, tucking it in between her shoulder and the coffin so it wasn't on top of her. "Good-bye, Ino," she whispered.

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><p>The funeral was very sad. Hinata ended up crying, as did many of the funeral goers. Naruto just remained silent through the whole thing, as if he was stunned. Hinata tried helping by reaching over and touching his hand or arm occasionally, but he remained still, almost like a statue.<p>

Ino's parents made a speech, then they invited Naruto up to the podium to join them. He said a few kind words about how Ino was an amazing girlfriend, and he shared some of their memories, making some people laugh. He said how much he was going to miss her, but that she was always in his heart. Not once did he shed a tear.

Finally it was time to take Ino's body to the grave. Her casket was closed, and the pallbearers (Naruto, Sasuke, Shikamaru, Chouji, Ino's dad and Neji), lifted it to begin the walk down to her grave where she would be laid to rest forever.

Hinata stayed with Sakura, following the group out to the gravesite. They set the casket down on the hammock over the empty grave, then stepped away.

The pastor said a few words, and bagpipes started playing Amazing Grace. Then, they started lowering the casket into its final resting place.

Hinata stepped up beside Naruto, resting a hand on his shoulder. She felt that his shoulders were shaking.

He was crying.

Suddenly he turned to her and wrapped his arms around her, burying his face in her shoulder. He kept his face turned away from the grave while Ino's coffin was being lowered. Hinata placed an arm around his shoulders, keeping him tight to her as if trying to protect him from his sadness. People were giving them sympathetic looks. After Naruto's speech, everyone knew that Ino had been his girlfriend.

To Hinata it felt like forever before everything was finally finished, and the gravediggers were shoveling the dirt over Ino's coffin before Naruto pulled away from her. He wiped his eyes, which were red and swollen from crying. Hinata herself had cried, but not near as hard as Naruto.

People were leaving the gravesite now. The bagpipes were still playing, but the funeral was over. A lot of hugs and condolences went around as people left. Naruto and Hinata both hugged some people they didn't really know, but it was ok. Everyone in the gang gave them a hug as well. Shikamaru and Chouji had been crying, because they'd known Ino very well too.

All in all, it was a very emotional day. Hinata and Naruto managed to get away from the departing crowd and headed towards the parking lot. Naruto kept his head down and was silent. Hinata, herself, wasn't sure what to say. The last few days since Ino's death had passed in a blur. Now they would have to spend this Christmas healing.

Christmas was just three days away. Ino would not be here to see it. She would not get to spend her first Christmas with Naruto as a couple. There were many things that she would not get to do. Her young life was cut short by a tragic accident. Now, her body was under the ground.

Then, as they reached Hinata's car, she turned to Naruto and said, "I'm sure s-she loved the necklace you got her for Christmas. She's probably smiling f-from heaven."

Naruto gave a sad smile, and Hinata saw his eyes start to water. "Thank you. That means a lot."

Then he wrapped his arms around her again, although this time he didn't cry.

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><p>Gaara texted her later that day when she was back in her bedroom, changed into her normal clothes. She'd gone into moping mode. Sad that Ino was gone. Sad that Gaara wasn't with her right now to comfort her. Sad for Naruto, having to deal with this by himself as he lived by himself. But when her phone vibrated and she saw that it was Gaara, a grin broke out across her face.<p>

His message read: **Hey, babe. I just got off work. How was the funeral today?**

She typed back, **It was such an emotional day. I'm just in bed now by myself. I'm sad that Ino is gone, even if I wasn't good friends with her. I saw her die. I saw her body again in the casket. It's all just horrible. And poor Naruto. I can't wait until you get here.**

He answered seconds later. **Yeah I know. I'm sorry for your loss, and Naruto's. It must be awful, especially for her parents at this time of year. So close to Christmas. I wish I was there right now to comfort you. **

**It's tragic. I'm glad today is over with, and now we can begin healing even though that will take some time, especially for Naruto. How was work?**

**Not bad. Nothing exciting happening. Oh, Matsuri texted me.**

A hint of jealousy flared up in Hinata. What did Matsuri want with her boyfriend? **What did she want?**

**Asked me out to dinner tonight. I said no, that I needed to talk to you because of Ino's death and I knew you had a rough day. She grumbled, then asked me for tomorrow night. I agreed.**

Hinata's heart stopped. She didn't need to hear this right now. **Why are you going on a date with Matsuri?**

**I told her it's not a date. It's just hanging out. I want her off my back as much as you do. I promise nothing will happen. She tried to get with Sasori, but that failed I guess. Sasori's probably too scared to commit to a girl knowing he has a kid somewhere. **

Hinata still didn't like this idea. **What if she tries to take you home after?**

**I won't let her, honey, I promise. You know how much I worry about you and Naruto up there? Well, I'm trying to avoid Matsuri but it doesn't seem to be working. **

**You're a cop. Can't you block her number or something?**

**I'll do that if my plan doesn't work. I just don't want to be an asshole. She didn't do anything wrong to me, besides try and take me from you. Trust me, please? I have a plan for tomorrow night, to hopefully get her to stop chasing me for good. **

Sighing, Hinata decided to just let it go. If something happened between Gaara and Matsuri, it happened. Hinata could deal with being single again. She would just focus on school and her friends more. She had a rough day and didn't want to think about her boyfriend of six months on a date with another girl who obviously had a weird obsession with him. Gaara would tell her if something happened between him and Matsuri. He was a very honest and open person. She trusted him.

**I trust you, Gaara. Just please don't hurt me again.**

**I won't, I love you too much to let anything come between us again. **

Hinata's heart fluttered when he said those words. She adored him, but if he broke her heart again she was preparing herself to be single. She didn't want to fight over him going out with Matsuri, when she had kissed Naruto while her and Gaara were still dating, even though it had happened back in the summer.

Her eyelids began to close, even though it was only early evening. She'd cried a lot today, and it made her eyes tired. She figured she deserved a good, long sleep.

She texted good night to Gaara, then passed out for the night.

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><p>The next couple of days passed quickly. Gaara chased Matsuri off by telling her that Kankuro was interested. They didn't have much of a dinner really. Just ate a meal then parted ways. Hinata was glad that nothing had happened between them.<p>

Soon, it was Christmas Eve. Hinata had all of her shopping done a while ago, so she was busy wrapping presents in her bedroom listening to Christmas music, feeling the thrill of Christmas. Every year it brought back nostalgia for her, she remembered how excited she was as a little kid that Santa was coming. Of course she no longer believed in that, but it was nice to remember.

Her phone vibrated on the floor next to her, so she paused in her wrapping to pick it up and see who was texting her.

Naruto.

It said, **Hey, Hinata. I'm here alone in my apartment. I don't even have a Christmas tree. I just...want someone here with me, and the person I thought of was you. **

Hinata's heart melted. Poor Naruto, having to spend Christmas alone. She had bought him a small Christmas gift at the last minute. Then she had an idea.

Instead of responding right away, she stood and headed downstairs to find her father in his study.

"Father?" she peered her head in nervously, hoping he wasn't in a grumpy mood.

"Yes, dear?" he set down his papers to look at her.

"Naruto...he doesn't have anyone to spend Christmas with. Ino just died. I-I don't want him to be alone for Christmas." _Please let him come here._

Hiashi pondered this for a moment. "Well...we do have a guestroom. I don't see the harm in letting him spend Christmas with us. You have known him for a long time now, so he is like family."

A huge grin broke out on Hinata's face, and in a surprising move she reached across the desk to wrap her arms around her father's neck. "Arigato, Father!" she wouldn't normally hug her father, but she loved when he made kind gestures like this.

Hiashi didn't make a move to return the hug. "It's not a problem, Hinata. You're of age now, so I can't rule your life anymore. I'm letting you grow up."

Hinata pulled apart from him. "I'll let him know, then g-go to pick him up. Thank you again."

Hiashi nodded as a dismissal. Hinata left, feeling elated. She was going to spend Christmas with Naruto.

She texted him back. **If you don't mind, my father has agreed to let you spend Christmas with us. I'll come and pick you up.**

He answered seconds later. **Really? Wow, that's great! I'll get ready. Thank you. **

**I'll be there in a half hour. I still have to wrap your present. **

**You got me something? I didn't think you would after the way I treated you this year. But I got you something too. I got it for you as kind of a "I'm sorry for being a dinkhole" present.**

Hinata giggled. She had already forgiven him. He didn't need to get her presents. But she finished wrapping his and got ready to drive to his place. At least he seemed to be somewhat back to his old self, in the few times she had texted him since the funeral. He was still sad, of course, but over the initial shock.

Once in her car, she plugged in her mp3 player and changed it to the song "Slide" by GooGoo Dolls. It still made her remember that day when he had kissed her. How much things had dramatically changed since then.

Naruto was ready when she walked up to his apartment. She hadn't seen him since the funeral, but he had cleaned up nice.

He invited her in. "Hey. I just wanted to talk to you for a few minutes."

"Sure." Hinata noticed that the place was void of anything Christmasy. It was a stark contrast to the streets outside, which were filled with decorations and people dressed in red, white and green. She shivered. Poor Naruto had been through so much the last week.

"I'm still sore from the accident," he limped over to the couch and motioned for her to sit beside him. "My ankle was twisted pretty bad, almost broke."

Hinata sat beside him, so that their knees were touching. "A-are you ok?"

He shrugged wearily. "I could be dead. I think a sprained ankle is nothing."

She flinched. "I'm sorry."

"It's been six days since the accident. Almost a week. Three days since Ino was buried. I feel like shit. I don't know what to do with myself. I still have my job, they said I can take a few weeks off, they're very understanding. I'm still waiting for Ino to text me in the morning, then when I wake up and there's no message, it hits me all over again. I look at her last text. It's killing me, Hinata." He hung his head in his hands. "I can't deal with this."

Hinata reached out to touch his knee. "It hurts. I know. I can't imagine having someone you loved no longer be there everyday."

"I...have something to show you." He rolled up the left sleeve of his long sleeve shirt, and Hinata gasped.

There were cuts, freshly made cuts. Hinata counted three of them on his wrist.

Naruto saw the look of horror on her face, and quickly rolled his sleeves back down. "I'm sorry. I just feel like I deserve this. I killed Ino. If I had been a better driver, I could have avoided that asshole. Maybe if I had taken a different route than what I did, we could have been spared this. I've been cutting once everyday since she was buried, so now there are three. I just made one before you came over so that I wouldn't have to do it at your place."

Hinata wasn't sure what to say. This wasn't Naruto. He would never even think about doing something like this. "Naruto-kun, I...please stop doing that. Ino wouldn't want you to hurt yourself. She knows it's not your fault." On an impulse, she reached over and wrapped her arms around his neck in a hug. "Please stop."

He turned so that he was facing her, and he wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her close. They sat there in silence for several minutes. Until Naruto whispered something in her ear.

"I'll stop cutting myself. For you. And Ino."

Her heart swelled. "I hope so," she murmured.

"I promise."

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><p><strong>Astrocam: Hope you enjoyed, even though it was sad. Thanks for reading, faving and reviewing :)<strong>


	17. Because It's Christmas

**Astrocam: This chapter does have some Naru/Hina fluff, but only friend fluff, cause remember they are just friends now. Hinata's very much in love with Gaara by now, so I don't think she will jeopardize that. Besides, Naruto is still dealing with the loss of Ino. So if anyone else complains about Hinata being "wishy washy", please read past chapter 14 to see how things work out. Thanks.**

**Also, if you are going to complain about my story, sign in so that I can explain it to you in a PM without having to call you out in the next chapter. **

**With that out of the way, I'm really excited for Christmas. And it's only August. Yeah I know. Lame right? Last year I was honestly kind of a Scrooge. This year I'll be single, and yet I'm looking forward to it. **

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><p><strong>Chapter Seventeen - Because It's Christmas<strong>

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><p>After they talked for a little while, and Hinata was assured that Naruto wouldn't cut anymore, and they gathered his things to head to her place. Once in her car, she turned the song to "Slide" by GooGoo Dolls, to see if Naruto would remember or recognize the song.<p>

He did instantly. "I remember this." He tapped his fingers on the armrest in time with the beat, then started to sing softly. "Could you whisper in my ear the things you wanna feel, I'd give you anything to feel it comin..."

Hinata was surprised. She hadn't heard him sing before. "You're not a bad singer," she complimented as they started driving away from his apartment.

He blushed, as if embarrassed that he was caught singing. "Thanks, I guess. I don't sing much. Especially in front of anyone."

Hinata grinned.

"I remember the look you gave me when I kissed you," he went on. "You were completely shocked. I wasn't sure what to do. I was going to tell you I liked you. Then Kiba came along, of course. I figured that maybe the best thing to do was not to interact with you much until the feelings passed. That was a stupid idea. I knew I hurt you."

Her smile faded as she remembered the moment. "I know you were confused. Y-yes it did hurt, but it's done now."

Naruto gave her a sad smile. "You're happy with Gaara now. I _was_ happy with Ino."

Why couldn't they have a normal, happy mood without bringing her up?

_It's because she just died. Give it some time. _

_I just want this Christmas to be a good one for Naruto. I don't want him to be upset and think about Ino all the time._

_Of course he will. He can't just stop thinking about her for a day. Christmas is the worst time to lose someone, because you want to be happy and then you get mixed emotions because when you are happy, you feel guilty for being happy without them around._

_True. I guess I wasn't as close with Ino as Naruto was. I'll have to be the patient one this time._

_Exactly. Don't pressure him to cheer up. It won't happen. At least not right now._

Hinata sighed.

"What is it?" Naruto asked.

"I'm just...I know it's Christmas. Everyone's supposed to be happy and cheerful. But after what we've gone through together, especially you, it's really hard to enjoy the season."

"Yeah, I know. Ino should be here with us. If she was still here, I'd probably be over at her place right now. Not that I'm not going to enjoy spending it with you, but you understand what I mean."

Hinata nodded. Their lives had all been affected by this tragedy, changed in a split second. "W-what's going to happen to that other driver?"

"He's going to court at the end of this month. Ino's parents are suing him, and his license has been revoked until they decide his sentence."

"That's good." Hinata was glad they weren't just letting the driver get off easy.

Soon enough they reached her place. Hinata helped Naruto get everything inside and into the guestroom where he would be staying. Her father was still in his study, he would probably be there for most of the night, and Hanabi was with some friends but she would probably be home soon. So Hinata took Naruto up to her bedroom so they could have some more private time.

"It's been a while since I've been here," Naruto commented, looking around at her Christmas decorations and then the wrapping paper mess on the floor. "I see you were busy before I interrupted you."

She smiled. "It's all right. Y-you can help be finish wrapping them, I-I just have a few more to go."

"Oh, do you want your present now or tomorrow?" Naruto reached into his jeans pocket and pulled out a small package that was decently wrapped. "It's a little smushed," he observed sheepishly.

"I-I guess we can exchange our presents tonight. Just hold on." Hinata crossed the room to her little fake Christmas tree and took a present from under there that she had marked "To Naruto, from Hinata". She sat back down on her bed, and they handed each other the gifts.

Hinata glanced at him shyly. "You go first," she told him.

Grinning, he tore open the wrapping paper, obviously not worrying about ruining the nice wrapping job she had done on his gift. Inside was a nice t-shirt since she knew he didn't have many clothes, and she'd gotten him a small package of ramen noodles, which were his favourite. She'd also picked him up a video game that he could play on his computer.

"This shirt is nice, I like it a lot. And I haven't played this game yet, but it'll give me something to do. And you know I love ramen noodles. Thanks, I love it." Naruto leaned over to give her a quick hug, then pulled away. "Your turn."

Hinata was happy that he liked what she'd picked out for him (at the last minute of course). A bit nervous, she gingerly peeled away the wrapping paper of her present to reveal a small square box, that was rather squished from being inside Naruto's jeans pocket. She opened the box and a smile spread across her face.

It was a simple bracelet, with a few crystal beads and a dark blue cord. In its own way, it was rather pretty.

Naruto spoke up. "It's a friendship bracelet. I made it. I also made one for myself. It didn't take me long, since I had the whole day to do nothing anyway. Mine's on my wrist, the one that isn't cut." He pulled back his right sleeve to reveal a similar bracelet, only with a brown cord but the same beads.

Hinata put her bracelet on immediately. It fit perfectly. "I love it. T-thanks." she reached over to give him a hug, but only ended up knocking him to the bed as he lost his balance. She ended up on next to him, her arms around his neck, but they were laughing.

Naruto set his gifts and the wrapping paper on the floor so they could get in a better cuddling position. Hinata's heart pounded nervously. This was dangerous. She was worried about something happening.

As if reading her mind, Naruto said, "That's the last thing on my mind. Remember, my girlfriend just died a few days ago. I don't think I'll be putting moves on anyone anytime soon. Or at all."

Hinata relaxed a little. "T-true."

"I just...I miss cuddling. Being in that apartment alone doesn't help. I know you're with Gaara, but cuddling is harmless." Naruto put an arm around her waist, pulling her close but not touching her intimately. She sighed, curling up and pressing her face into his chest. She missed cuddling too, so much. It had been three months since she had even touched Gaara. This long distance thing was hard.

Suddenly, a flash of memories came to her mind. She remembered Gaara's smile, his laugh, his touch, his kisses, his embrace. And the urge to sob overwhelmed her. She gave in.

Alarmed, Naruto pulled away slightly to look into her eyes. "What's wrong? Am I going too far?"

Hinata shook her head. "N-no. I just... I miss Gaara so much. It's been three months. I know it's not the same as losing Ino, but...it hurts. Not being near him."

Naruto hugged her close again. "Shh. You'll see him in a few days. It'll be fine, I promise."

"I-I know. I don't know why I'm c-crying about that." Hinata tried to wipe her tears, but they just kept coming the more she remembered Gaara. She hadn't cried over Gaara since she had seen him last. Why was she getting so upset now? Maybe being this close to Naruto again was making her remember how being like this with Gaara felt.

"Long distance relationships are hard. You can't see them as often as you'd like. I was lucky, I could see Ino everyday. But in the end it drove me away from my friends. Even if she had survived, I would have still tried to repair our friendship. She was a bit controlling, yes, but nothing that I couldn't handle. I miss her, so much. I know how you feel about Gaara. And yes, I am jealous that you get to see him in a few days. I won't ever get to see Ino again."

Hinata suddenly felt childish about crying over Gaara. At least he was still alive. She could still text him, call him, see him on Skype, see him in person every few months. Naruto couldn't do any of those things with Ino anymore. "I-I'm sorry," she whispered, trying to control her sobs. She wiped at her eyes. "I-I feel silly."

"Don't worry about it. I know you miss him, and I miss Ino. Just that our situations are different. It's all right to cry over missing someone." His quiet voice was soothing, comforting.

Hinata nodded and managed to calm herself down.

They laid there for what felt like hours, but it wasn't too long before Hinata realized she needed to finish wrapping presents. She told this to Naruto, who agreed to help. So they sat up, stretched and got to work. Hinata was glad that nothing had happened. They both weren't emotionally stable enough to deal with that kind of drama right now. Besides, she was with Gaara, and he would probably be pissed if she had kissed Naruto yet again while they were dating. There was only so much of that a person could take.

She felt better, though, as if a weight had lifted off her shoulders. It was good to get out some emotions. Even if it meant crying on Naruto's shoulder while he was dealing with a worse situation himself.

While they were wrapping presents and chatting, Hinat's phone vibrated. She checked the message. Gaara, of course. It was the first time he had texted her today, besides the usual good morning text. He'd been at work.

He wrote, **Hey babe. Merry Christmas Eve. I can't wait to see you in a few days. I just got off work. It was a long shift. I'm glad I can just relax this Christmas. **

Hinata paused in her wrapping to answer. **I'm glad you're home safe, Merry Christmas Eve to you too. Naruto is over for the night. I didn't want him to spend Christmas alone. Don't worry, he's sleeping in the guestroom, and he'll be gone before you get here. **

**I suppose that's all right. I hope he's gone before I get there. That would be a little awkward, me sharing a bed with him. **

Hinata had to smile at the image of Gaara and Naruto in a bed sleeping.

"Hey, what are you smiling about?" Naruto asked from across the pile of wrapping paper.

"I'll tell you in a minute," she promised, then answered Gaara. **Aw, that would be adorable. I can see it now. Bffs forever, right?**

**Omg. What's going through your mind tonight? Dear God. I think you drank too much eggnog and it was spiked.**

Hinata snickered. **I don't like eggnog. Remember?**

**I guess I forgot about that. But still. Pervert. **

**Hey, I'm not the one who said it. I just pictured it.**

**Damn, you caught me. What are you two doing now?**

**Wrapping presents. Naruto gave me a friendship bracelet that he made. I got him a t-shirt, ramen noodles and a video game. **

**That's nice. I'm glad you two are getting along again. I just hope he won't do what he did to you before. **

**If he does I'm walking away for good, but honestly I don't see it happening. He's been through a lot. I have to just take it slow with him.**

"Hey, you, are you going to wrap these things or what?" Naruto stuck his tongue out at her jokingly, while struggling to finish wrapping a sweater that she had bought for her father. "Damn thing. I cut the paper too small. It won't reach."

Hinata just sighed, then told Gaara she would text him later and finished helping Naruto with the presents. When they were finished, they took the family presents downstairs to put under the Christmas tree in the living room. Hinata saw Neji sitting on the couch, sipping some hot chocolate and watching some sports thing on TV. Neji's parents had died a long time ago, and Hiashi was his godfather, so he stayed with them. Hinata almost thought of Neji as like a brother.

"Hey, Neji," she walked over to him and held up a present. "This one's for you."

Neji made a grab at it. "What is it?"

Hinata put it behind her back. "Not until tomorrow."

"Yeah, yeah. Yours is over there too. What's Naruto doing here?"

"He's spending Christmas with us. Father already said it was fine. I-I didn't want him to be alone after what just happened with Ino." Hinata lowered her voice as Naruto was over by the tree setting up presents.

Neji nodded. "I see. Well, why doesn't he come over here and watch sports with me?"

Hinata rolled her eyes. "He's my guest."

However Naruto had popped up behind her. "I've set the presents out. I'll watch sports with you, Neij. Hinata you can join us."

"T-thrilling," Hinata rolled her eyes, but smiled. "Can't we watch Christmas shows? It is Christmas Eve."

"After this game, it's almost over anyway, probably another ten minutes." Neji turned his eyes back to the television just as his favorite team made a goal. "Yes!" he exclaimed. He was normally a stoic type like Sasuke, rarely showing any emotion, but watching sports brought it out for him.

Naruto sat on the other end of the couch.

"Would you like some hot c-chocolate, Naruto-kun?" Hinata offered. "I'm going to get some for myself."

"Yes, please," Naruto agreed.

Hinata headed into the kitchen to make some hot chocolate. She couldn't stop touching the bracelet that Naruto gave her. She had been the same way when Gaara had first given her her necklace, and now she was used to it because she wore it everyday. She still adored it, as she adored Naruto's bracelet. Both Naruto and Gaara held a special place in her heart. Even if, in the future, things didn't work out with her and Gaara, she would always care for him because he wasn't a bad person and he treated her well. She suspected that they could be friends, even after a break up, so long as they didn't break up on bad terms like they had last time.

She shuddered at the memory. Even if they had only been broken up for a couple of weeks, it still hurt and she was glad they had worked it out. She was also glad that her and Naruto could work on repairing their friendship after a few months of not talking.

The hot chocolate was ready soon enough, and she took the two mugs out to the living room. She sat on the couch in between Neji and Naruto, keeping one of the mugs for herself and giving one to Naruto.

He grinned when he saw the marshmallows on top. "You even put marshmallows in it. I love it like this."

"Y-yes, I know." How could she not know? They had spent five, going on six Christmases together as friends. This would be their sixth.

"My team won!" Neji crowed, pumping a fist in the air. "I knew they would."

Hinata sighed. "Finally. Can we watch Christmas shows now?"

"Sure, you two can have the television. I'm going to my room." Neji started to stand.

"But you can watch them with us, instead of being alone," Hinata tried to get him to stay. She wanted to spend Christmas with her family, even if her father was busy in his study.

"I need to talk to Tenten anyway," Neji shook his head and retreated upstairs.

"Are him and Tenten dating?" Naruto asked curiously. "I've been out of the loop for a while."

"No, b-but I know they like each other. They're like...us, before. T-they just don't know they have feelings for each other, but it's obvious t-to everyone else." Hinata picked up the remote and it didn't take her long to find a Christmas special. Her and Naruto sat on the couch together, watching Christmas shows and sipping hot chocolate for the rest of the evening.

A couple of hours later, when Hinata looked out the darkened window and saw through the streetlamp that it was snowing, she knew it was the perfect Christmas Eve. She pointed that out to Naruto, who sat up immediately. They had finished their hot chocolate, and yet another Christmas movie was playing on the screen.

"Snow!" he grinned, then jumped up. "Let's go."

"But it's almost midnight," Hinata pointed out, standing up as well. "W-we should probably get to bed soon."

"So? What's another hour? Come on." he grabbed her hand, then led her to the entry way where they put their winter boots on, grabbed a jacket and headed outside into the chilly weather.

Naruto ran towards the streetlamp, and randomly jumped feet-first into a small pile of snow that had accumulated in the past couple of hours. He landed on his behind, laughing. "Ouch! That hurt."

Hinata smiled, coming over to help him up. "Of course it would, i-it's not deep enough yet."

He took her hand and she pulled him up, but he didn't let go. Instead he pulled her close, in a warm embrace. "Is it wrong for me to say that this has been the best Christmas ever?" he whispered, his voice subdued again.

"I-I think Ino would be glad you're having fun, and not home alone." Hinata hugged him tightly.

"I miss her so much, but at the same time I'm having fun with you. I feel guilty." Naruto sounded as if he was ashamed.

"It's hard to have fun when someone you loved is no longer here."

"I know."

They stood silently for several minutes, still embraced. Hinata started to shiver. The cold was getting to her.

"Are you cold?" Naruto rubbed his hands up and down her arms.

"Y-yes." Hinata hadn't worn gloves, but her hands were exposed as she had her arms wrapped around Naruto's waist.

"Let's go back inside. I just wanted to enjoy the snow for a minute." Naruto lifted his head to the sky and closed his eyes, breathing deeply. "Winter air smells good, and brings back some memories."

Hinata had to agree, even though she was shivering. "I-it's nice."

After a few more seconds, Naruto finally broke apart from her and they headed back inside. Hinata glanced back at their footprints under the streetlamp. She'd definitely remember this Christmas forever, the good times and the bad.

* * *

><p>The next morning, Hinata yawned and opened her eyes to see the usual text message from Gaara.<p>

**Merry Christmas, babe! Three more days! What did Santa bring you?**

Hinata smiled at his message, then wrote back, **I'm not sure, I just woke up. What did he bring you?**

**Well, I got some video games and movies from my brother Kankuro, some clothes from Temari since she decided I needed to look nice to see you, and yeah that's about it. Besides the usual stocking stuffers. I don't have a lot of friends, as you know. The three of us always have a small Christmas here. I'm mostly excited about seeing you anyway. **

**That's not so bad, though. I'm about to go downstairs. I'll let you know when we've finished unwrapping everything. Love you, babe, Merry Christmas.**

**I love you, too. Talk to you in a bit. **

Hinata could hardly wait to see him, but for now she had presents to unwrap.

Naruto was already awake but still wearing his pajamas, he was sitting on the floor by the tree with Hanabi and Neji. Hinata knew that her father was less strict now about Christmas than he was before, mostly because Hanabi complained. Her father used to make them get fully dressed, and eat breakfast before they could open their presents. But Hanabi whined about it every year, so he just gave up and let them have fun. Hanabi was the princess, she always got what she wanted. Hinata's father didn't worry about Hinata a whole lot anymore now that she was older though.

Naruto grinned at her. "Hey, Merry Christmas!"

Hinata saw that he was wearing the shirt that she had bought him. It looked nice on him. "You too," she smiled back. "Same to everyone."

Hiashi came from the kitchen. "We're all here. Are we ready?"

"Yes! Finally Hinata's awake," Hanabi pouted. Hinata noticed that she was sitting next to her pile of presents under the tree.

Neji was just sitting in front of the tree, the same stoic look on his face as usual. Sports made him more excited than Christmas did. There could be an entire pile of presents sitting there just for him, and he would just stare at it.

Hinata rolled her eyes. "I'm here now. W-who wants to go first?"

"Me!" Hanabi snatched a present and proceeded to tear the wrapping paper open. She was thirteen years old so she no longer believed in Santa, but that didn't make her less excited. For some reason, when Hinata found out that Santa wasn't real, it made her less thrilled to wake up on Christmas morning. Not that she was ungrateful for anything she got, but there was just something fun and exciting about a man in a red suit with a sleigh and reindeer that fly, delivering you presents under the tree.

They continued unwrapping presents one after the other. Hinata went next, then Neji, then their father, then back to Hanabi. Naruto just watched. Hinata felt bad that they didn't have gifts for him, besides the ones that she had given him, but he assured her that it was fine, he had come over at the last minute after all. If she had known, she probably would have bought more for him to open on Christmas Day.

It took about a half hour, but soon everything under the tree was opened and there was a pile of discarded wrapping paper on the floor. That was the thing with Christmas...you got up so early in the morning because you were excited, and then it was over in an hour and you had a full day left. Hinata checked her cell phone and saw that it was only nine AM. At least that was later than previous years, when her and her sister were younger they got up at five in the morning, dragging their poor father out of bed.

"Thank you, father," Hinata thanked her father for everything he had gotten for her.

"Thank you, father," Hanabi followed suit.

"Thank you, uncle," Neji murmured.

"You're all welcome, and thank you all for what you gave to me. We are having a family supper this afternoon. For now you have time to enjoy your gifts. I must arrange things for the supper." Hiashi bowed slightly before heading towards his office.

Hinata was pleased that this Christmas had gone so well. They'd had dramatic Christmases before, where Hanabi hadn't gotten exactly what she'd asked for and she'd made a huge fuss about it. Or the time when Hinata had received a new stereo and she'd accidentally dropped and broken it while carrying it up the stairs to her room. Or the time when Neji had gotten a lecture from Hiashi after arguing with Hanabi about something or other.

Naruto was looking at everything she'd gotten. "This is a lot of stuff," he commented, but he didn't seem to be jealous at all.

"Well, this Christmas we decided to go lighter than usual, since we are g-getting older and don't need so many things. Probably next year will be even less." Hinata realized that Naruto hadn't had a real Christmas in a long time.

"When I was living with Iruka, my guardian, it was always just me and him at Christmastime. Besides the Christmas parties that I went to with you guys." Naruto shrugged, as if it wasn't a big deal. "I didn't even know who Santa was when I was little. I asked Iruka about it one day after I'd heard everyone at school talking. He finally told me, but then told me straight away that Santa wasn't real and it was just a story to get kids to behave for Christmas. I told one of my friends at school that, and he flipped out, insisting Santa was real. So I decided to keep my mouth shut after that. I never really asked Iruka about it again, and I just let all the kids talk. No one really talked to me anyway, besides a couple of people."

Hinata's heart constricted. She hadn't heard this story before. "That's so sad," she murmured. "Believing in S-Santa was fun while it lasted."

"Oh, well. What can I do?" He picked up a mug that Hinata had received from Hanabi. "This is nice."

"I like it," Hinata smiled, rubbing Naruto on the shoulder. "How's your ankle by the way? You were on it a lot yesterday, especially when we played in the snow."

"It's not as bad. Still hurts, randomly though or if I step on it wrong. It's not like a constant pain." Naruto set the mug back down and picked up a cell phone case that Hinata had received from Neji. "This is cool. You should try it on your phone."

The two of them spent the rest of the morning testing out Hinata's gifts, and helping everyone clean up and got breakfast, then prepared for the family dinner.

* * *

><p><strong>Astrocam: Ah, Christmas. I'm kinda excited. My parents are going to try and learn online shopping for this year, that should be fun lol. Anyways, this was a nice, easy chapter, a break from the drama and sadness. Hope you enjoyed it :) <strong>


	18. See You Again

**Astrocam: I apologize for the long-ish wait, and the short-ish chapter. I lost inspiration during the writing of this chapter, and it was quite a struggle to get it finished. So I just kind of cut it short at a random spot. I'm guessing this story will be done pretty soon, if I'm kinda losing inspiration. Also I've had a busy past few days, I've moved into my place in the city again. It's the same place as last year, and I know one of the roommates is the same girl, and we have a different guy, but I don't know the other one yet. So I'll see. Anyway, enjoy the chapter. Lemon warning. **

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Eighteen – See You Again<strong>

* * *

><p>An hour before Gaara was due to arrive, Hinata was waiting at the airport for him. She was just too excited to think about anything else. Even more excited now than she had been for Christmas Day. The dinner had gone smoothly, even though at first Hinata's relatives mistook Naruto for her boyfriend. She told them all that he was just a good friend. He seemed to get along well with everyone, as he was more social and bubbly than she was. He had left after the dinner, thanking her for everything she had done for him that Christmas.<p>

Now though, this was the longest hour of her life. Luckily things went smoothly, and Gaara's plane wasn't delayed. She was constantly texting Naruto and Sakura, or twiddling her thumbs waiting because she was too distracted to do anything else. When his plane was announced, she stood up, shifting from foot to foot. Her heart was pounding. Would he look different? Had anything changed about him? She guessed not, because she saw his photos on Facebook and talked to him on Skype. But seeing him in person again was different.

_Omigod omigod he's almost here ahhhhh lwoeirjaosekrjser._ Even her thoughts were incoherent.

Her phone buzzed in her pocket, probably a text from Naruto, but she didn't even reach for it. Her eyes were focused on the plane as it pulled into the gate. She played with her hair nervously, hoping she still looked decent even after the anxious hour of waiting.

_It's been three months girl. You deserve this, after the shit you've gone through!_

_I know, I can't even think straight, gah. I hope I can talk when he gets here. Please hurry up!_

_Don't have a panic attack in the airport. Calm your breathing. Your heart's pounding like crazy. _

Finally, people were starting to come out of the plane and into the gate area, meeting with relatives and loved ones.

Hinata's eyes searched the crowd anxiously for Gaara. The more people came off the plane, the more worried she got. How many people could fit on that plane? Where was he? Was he all right? Did he miss his flight? Surely he would have texted her if something went wrong.

Seconds later, there he was, dragging his carry on behind him.

Her heart exploded as she rushed up to him, ignoring the looks of people, wrapping her arms around his neck for the first time in three months.

He smelled the same, felt the same, looked the same, and she was glad.

He dropped his bag to throw his arms around her waist, picking her up off the ground and twirling her once. "God I missed you," he whispered, pulling back just enough to plant a kiss on her lips right in front of everyone.

This was dangerous. Hinata hadn't kissed him in three months. She wanted more, right now. She could feel the urges for him growing quickly, spreading to her groin.

A few seconds later, he pulled apart, breathing heavily, his eyes dark and lust-filled. He'd felt the same thing. "I missed you a little too much," he murmured apologetically, shoving his hands in his pockets. "Just let me stand here for a few minutes while this goes away."

Hinata had to giggle at the predicament he was in. At least she could hide her excitement easily.

When he was ready to go again, he picked up his bags and they headed out of the airport. Hinata was thrilled that he was back. She couldn't wait to get him alone.

"How's Naruto doing?" Gaara broke the silence, trying to distract them from launching at each other in public.

"He's well as can be." Hinata hadn't told him about Naruto cutting himself. That was too personal. "Poor guy," she added.

"Indeed. I feel bad for him, and for Ino and her parents. That must be really hard, especially this time of year. I'm glad he could spend Christmas with you."

"Me, too. It was fun." Hinata was glad that Gaara was over his jealousy towards Naruto. He knew that she no longer had romantic feelings for Naruto, and she was too in love with Gaara to even think about being with someone else in that way.

"We've been together for six months, right?" Gaara asked as they exited the airport and headed towards Hinata's car.

"That's right. Well, going on seven months now, since our anniversary i-is on the fifth," Hinata calculated quickly in her head. New Year's was just around the corner. She went back to school on January sixth, so hopefully they could spend their seven month anniversary together.

"June fifth, I knew that," Gaara grinned sheepishly. "I'm so glad to still be with you after all this time. Who knew it would end up like this?"

They continued the small talk until they reached Hinata's place. Gaara greeted Hiashi, Neji and Hanabi, then they brought his bags into the guestroom where he would be staying. Once all the hustle was done with, Hinata took Gaara up to her room and closed the door behind them.

They both agreed that it was weird and awkward to do it while people were at home, but no one ever entered Hinata's room without knocking first, and even so, no one ever seemed to bother her anyway. Besides, the house was big, and if they were quiet then it wasn't a big deal. Hiashi would be downstairs in his study, Hanabi would be either in the living room downstairs, or in her bedroom which was also downstairs. Neji's room was a few doors down from Hinata's, but he was currently eating lunch in the kitchen before going out with Tenten.

Gaara wasted no time in grabbing her around the waist and tossing her onto the bed, pressing his lips to hers tightly, passionately. It was so hard for her not to moan, but she held her tongue and just whimpered, returning his passion. God she loved him.

He reached his hand up under her shirt to cup her breasts over her bra, squeezing her breast. "I've missed these," he murmured, massaging it. "You teased me too much with your sexy shirts. I saw pictures."

Hinata gasped. Desire exploded in her body. She rubbed her pelvis agains his, feeling his erection through his jeans, and her own. He kissed her again, running his tongue over her bottom lip, asking for entrance. She opened her mouth and tasted him, tasting mint. He must have been chewing gum on the plane.

He pulled away long enough to help her get her shirt off so that she was just in her bra. Hinata reached behind herself and quickly unclasped her bra, then tossed that to the floor as well. Gaara's hand and fingers felt amazing when he played with her breasts like this, but she wanted more of him.

He kissed her on the mouth again, then moved his lips from her lips to her chin, trailing down to her chest just above her breasts, leaving a trail of goosebumps on her skin. He kissed and licked around her breasts, teasing her mercilessly, until his mouth finally latched on and he started sucking, licking, even biting and nipping gently.

Hinata clutched her bedsheets, arching her back so that he could get more of her breast in his mouth. She closed her eyes, trying hard not to make any noise. She ended up moaning a little in her throat.

He trailed his mouth from one breast to another, continuing the process. Hinata was pretty sure that she had had an orgasm already, if not several. She was panting and they hadn't even taken their pants off yet.

Gaara lifted his mouth off her breast, then brushed his hand down her breast across her stomach. "Do you want me to take my clothes off?"

"Yes, please," she begged.

He sat up and in one fluid motion tossed his shirt off. Then he reached down to help Hinata remove her pants. She was now naked in front of him.

Instead of taking his own pants off, he kissed her stomach, then stuck his tongue out and licked her stomach all the way down to her clitoris. When his tongue flicked her clitoris, she clutched the bedsheets even harder. "Please," she gasped again.

"Please what?" he blew on her clit gently.

"Fuck me!"

"Wait."

"No! I've been waiting three months! I can't wait anymore!" she mewled.

Instead of answering her, he placed his mouth on her clit and proceeded to suck and lick. Then he stuck his tongue inside of her. "Mm, you taste good, and you're so ready," he murmured between licks.

"Gaara!" Hinata couldn't take much more of this. Why did he insist on teasing her so?

Then he pushed a finger inside of her as well, deep enough to tap her G-spot while licking her clit.

Hinata wanted to faint. And he hadn't even officially fucked her yet. She hadn't realized how deprived she really had been. She had gotten used to not having sex as often. But this felt amazing. His finger didn't even hurt, because she was so wet already.

He fingered her for a few seconds, then pulled his finger out of her and wiped it on his jeans. He stood up on the floor, pulled a condom out of his pocket and then removed his jeans.

Hinata missed the sight of Gaara naked. He rolled the condom on and then crawled back on the bed, hovering over her, his eyes dark and filled with lust. "Are you ready?" he whispered, trailing kisses down her neck.

In answer, she reached down to grab his erection and guide him to her entrance. Once she was comfortable, she released him so he could push himself into her slowly.

She gasped, grabbing his back, clawing him to shreds. He took it slow at first so as not to hurt her, but when she started pushing back, he wasted no more time in hammering into her. She met him thrust for thrust, the desire overwhelming her. She let him know how much she had missed him in the past three months.

It didn't take him long to cum, and when he did, he whispered her name. She groaned quietly as orgasm after orgasm raked her body. She could feel her mouth going dry. Soon enough, they were both spent, and Gaara pulled out of her, now limp. He tugged the condom off and tossed it into her garbage can. She would hide it better later. Not that anyone came into her room anyway. But just in case.

They cuddled naked for a while.

"That was amazing." he whispered, nuzzling her neck.

She curled into him. "I love you."

"I love you too." He pulled her close, brushing his hand down her back.

* * *

><p>"So, do you want to see what I got you for Christmas?" Gaara asked about an hour later.<p>

Hinata had completely forgotten. "Y-yes, please. I got you something also."

They finally climbed off the bed and got dressed. Hinata brushed her hair, then picked out Gaara's present from under her little Christmas tree. His was the only one left that was still wrapped.

"Your present is in my luggage bags," Gaara said. "I'll go get it, be right back."

Hinata sat on her bed to wait for him, turning his present over in her hands. She hoped he liked it.

Gaara returned moments later, with a small wrapped box in his hands. "I wrapped it," he smiled, as though proud, and handed it to her.

"Impressive," Hinata admired the wrapping job he had done. She handed him his gift, then they both opened them at the same time. She hated to ruin his wrapping job.

"I love it!" Gaara held up a cell phone case, one of the presents that she had got for him. "It looks cool." He dug deeper into the gift, pulling out other things. A gold chain necklace, a t-shirt, some candy, and a photo in a frame of the two of them together in Suna. "It's all awesome, thanks babe," he reached across to hug her. She hugged him back, then opened the box that he had given her.

Inside was a piece of paper, and what appeared to be a scrapbook of some kind. Hinata took out the piece of paper, which was folded in half, opened it and read it to herself. Her eyes widened when she realized what it was. "A-a lease?!" she exclaimed, turning to look at him.

He grinned. "Surprise! It's my lease for my apartment – here in Konoha. It's about a ten minute drive from your place. I'm moving here. For good."

Her eyes started to water. "Are you serious?"

"I wouldn't joke with you about something like that. I'm getting a job transfer, I've already got it looked after. I start the new job on January tenth, so I have some time off to get used to the area once I get my stuff down here. Don't worry about that. I'll miss the guys in Suna, but I'll keep in contact. They assured me that they have respect for the police force in Konoha, so I'm sure I'll get along fine here." Gaara's eyes were wide with excitement.

"Y-you planned all this without me knowing?" Hinata wiped tears from her eyes.

"Craft bastard, aren't I?" Gaara reached over to squeeze her hand. "I love you and want to be near you. Those three months apart were torture, so I put my foot down. That's part of our seven month anniversary present."

"I love you," Hinata sighed happily, leaning over to kiss him on the lips, squishing the box between them.

"I love you, too. You've still got another present in there." Gaara tapped the box.

Hinata sat up and pulled out the scrapbook. She opened it to find photos of herself and Gaara in Suna. It was like a whole book of memories from those first few months they were together. "Did you make this?" She flipped through the pages, loving every minute of it.

Gaara nodded. "Yeah, it's kind of a lame craft to be into for a guy but I didn't have anything else to do when I wasn't at work. I was looking at stuff online and then that idea hit me. I got a lot of inspiration from pages online, so I can't take full credit for it. It was probably just a one time thing, cause I had no idea what to get you."

"It's adorable, thank you." She kissed him again, hardly believing this was happening. She knew she had the best boyfriend ever. He would sacrifice his whole life in Suna just to be closer to her. "What do your siblings think?"

"They say go for it. They know how much I love you. They can just tell by the way I've been acting lately. And they knew being away from you that long was torture. I didn't really complain but they could tell by my behavior."

Hinata was so happy that Gaara was moving to Konoha, that she couldn't wait to text Naruto and Sakura. Maybe Naruto and Gaara could be real friends now instead of just "I'm-only-friends-with-you-because-she-is". They both seemed to be over their initial jealousy towards each other, so it was a possibility. The only problem was that Naruto couldn't bring Ino with him for a double date, so he might feel awkward at first.

They decided to go and visit Naruto for the day, because he likely didn't have anything to do. Hinata texted him just to be sure he was all right with Gaara being there.

**Hey Naruto, would you be ok with Gaara and I coming to visit you today?**

**Sure, go ahead. I haven't seen him in a while.**

**It doesn't bother you?**

**Nope. I'm over it now. When will you guys get here?**

**Probably in a half hour or so. See you then.**

**See ya.**

"He's fine with us coming over," Hinata told Gaara. "I told him we'd be there in a-a half hour."

"Alright, let's get ready."

The visit with Naruto wasn't as painful as Hinata feared it would be. He talked, joked and laughed with Gaara as if they were old friends. Although the laughter didn't occur too often, because he was still saddened over Ino's death. That hung in the air during the visit, but no one brought it up, besides Naruto who mentioned that he wished Ino was still here.

"Do you want to come out to supper with us? We'll go get some ramen," Gaara offered. Hinata had mentioned to Gaara that Naruto's favorite food was ramen.

"Sure! I need to get out of this place sometimes." Naruto grabbed a jacket and the three of them went out to Hinata's car. Gaara sat in the front passenger seat of course, while Naruto sat in the middle in the back.

They went to Naruto's favorite place to get ramen – Ichiraku Ramen. Naruto went there so often that the cooks knew him by name. They knew Hinata because she had been there on several occasions with him as well.

"Hey Naruto! How's it going? I heard about Ino...I'm so sorry." Teuchi reached out to pat Naruto on the shoulder. "I hope you're doing all right."

Naruto shrugged sadly. "As well as I can be. Teuchi, this is Gaara, Hinata's boyfriend from Suna."

"Oh, Hina-chan, it's been a while since I've seen you!" Teuchi narrowed his eyes at her. "You look different. I like it. And welcome, Gaara. Nice to see a new face." He shook Gaara's hand. "You're from Suna? Wow, that's quite the distance. How did you two meet?"

Hinata and Gaara told the story of how they met, while Teuchi and his daughter, Ayame, cooked their meals. The restaurant was bar-style, stools at the counter with the kitchen right behind the counter so it was pretty easy to talk. Hinata couldn't help but notice that Ayame seemed to be warming up to Gaara. She felt a ping of jealousy. Now that Gaara was moving here, he'd be a target for single, desperate girls in Konoha. At least Hinata could keep an eye on him closer. Not that she didn't trust him. She just didn't trust other girls.

They kept up the small talk with Teuchi and Ayame through the meal. The restaurant wasn't busy at all, this was their slow time of year, but they still kept it open for loyal customers like Naruto.

Once everyone had finished eating, they thanked the cooks and left. Hinata caught Ayame giving Gaara the eye. She glared back, but she didn't think the girl noticed her glare.

Then her cell phone vibrated, distracting her momentarily from her jealous thoughts. She pulled it out of her pocket and saw that Sakura had messaged her, asking what her plans were with Gaara and if she wanted to come over. So her, Naruto and Gaara all went over to Sakura and Sasuke's and spent the rest of the evening there, playing board games or watching movies. It was almost as if the gang was back together again...and Gaara was a new part of it.

However, one person was missing.

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><p><strong>Astrocam: Tough Christmas for everyone, with Ino gone :( But I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I figured it was time for another lemon. I hope I'll have the next chapter up sooner than this one was, and hopefully it'll be longer. But I guess I'll see. I have four more days until my second and final year of college starts. I hope to have another chapter up before then. <strong>


	19. Fireworks

**Astrocam: Ah, I know, I'm a horrible author. I was uploading chapters like a few days apart, and it's been a couple weeks at least. I apologize. Things have just been going kinda crazy, and to be honest I lost inspiration while writing this chapter, but I got it back tonight so I finally managed to finish it. I also started my second and final year of college. Feels great to be this much closer to graduating. **

**I think that there will only be one more chapter to this story, however I'm thinking about a sequel. Possibly. I'll have to see how the ending turns out. Hope you enjoy, and lemon warning near the end of the chapter. **

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><p><strong>Chapter Nineteen - Fireworks<strong>

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><p>"Are you ready to go yet?" Gaara asked Hinata. Gaara was standing outside her open bedroom door, leaning against the door frame. He was wearing the shirt and golden chain that she had given him for Christmas, and she had to admit he looked fine.<p>

She was just putting the finishing touches on her make up. "I'm ready," she answered, setting her make up down and grabbing her purse. She tossed her little camera into her purse as well, so she could get decent shots of the fireworks.

The two of them were heading over to Sasuke and Sakura's place, for a New Year's party before the fireworks. But first, Gaara wanted to spend some time with her, so they were going to a fancy restaurant in town. The dinner was fine, and Gaara paid for it all. They had a little make out session in her car in the parking lot before heading over to Sakura and Sasuke's.

The whole gang was there. Naruto, Shikamaru, Chouji, Rock Lee, Tenten, Kiba and Neji. When Hinata saw Kiba, she reached over to squeeze Gaara's hand. Kiba noticed, and he didn't make a move to hug her, but she introduced Gaara to everyone who didn't already know him. They were all fairly welcoming, besides Kiba who just mumbled "hi" and shoved his hands in his pockets. Hinata shrugged it off. Kiba knew that she was with Gaara. Besides, she didn't talk to or hang out with Kiba much at all anyway. Why was he so upset?

She gave Naruto a hug, knowing he was probably thinking of Ino. She was probably on everyone's minds at some point or another, because it wasn't the same without her loudmouth blabbering away. Even when she annoyed everyone, at least she was still a huge part of their group, but now she was gone. It was something everyone had to get used to.

"Thanks," Naruto murmured when he pulled away. "We're going to light a firework dedicated to Ino in a few minutes."

"Really? T-that's nice. She'd like that. I-it was more her personality." Hinata smiled, then stepped back next to Gaara.

Naruto nodded. "I think we're going to gather everyone in a few to do that. Sakura will let us know." He winked, and then a few seconds later a piercing shriek filled the air.

"EVERYONE! GO OUT TO THE BACK YARD NOW! WE'RE LIGHTING A FIREWORK TO REMEMBER INO!" Sakura's shouting voice could easily be heard over the chattering party goers.

Instantly the gang shuffled through the house out the back door. It was a fairly private back yard, with a few acres and trees surrounding it so they wouldn't draw too much attention from neighbors. People were lighting off their own fireworks tonight anyway.

The backyard was lit with tall torches, just enough light so they could see what they were doing as they set up the firework. Naruto and Sasuke set it up, while everyone stood in a circle at a safe distance.

"Would anyone like to say a few words?" Sakura asked, her voice quieter now that everyone was silent and listening.

Naruto stepped forward, him and Sasuke were done setting it up. "Ino, I miss you. Sure, you were annoying and irritating at times, but isn't everyone? I wish you could be here to celebrate New Year's with us. It just isn't the same without you." He touched his fingers to his lips, then pointed his fingers to the sky. "My New Year's kiss to you."

Hinata felt goosebumps when Naruto said those words. It was truly bittersweet. Her heart went out to him, and she squeezed Gaara's hand, grateful that he was still with her. A few people in the group said "Awww", but not in a mean way.

Naruto lit a match, and held it to the firework to light it. Once it was lit, him, Sakura and Sasuke jogged out of the way and everyone watched as the firework shot up to the sky, lighting it with several colourful sparks. It lasted for about ten seconds, and then finally stopped.

A few seconds later, Sakura shouted, "To Ino!"

Everyone followed suit. "To Ino!" the group chanted.

"Now, do you guys want to go into town and see the fireworks?" Sakura asked everyone.

A chorus of "yes's" responded, and they headed back inside to get ready to go to town.

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><p>The fireworks started in ten minutes. Everyone in the group was standing in the crowd of people who were waiting eagerly in the main town park. Hinata was next to Gaara the whole time, either holding his hand or her arm around him, or his arm around her. She felt bad for Naruto, but at least he wasn't the only single guy in the group. Kiba, Shikamaru and Chouji were all single as well.<p>

She was glad that Gaara got along so well with her friends. It was like he belonged here, like he had been here all along. She was extremely glad that he was moving to Konoha for good. She couldn't wait until he got settled in. She figured she'd be over at his place everyday. Perhaps, even they could live together after a while, if her father allowed it, which she was sure he would. He liked Gaara, so she didn't see why not.

That idea excited her. Sexy time everyday again. Especially living with him.

Everyone was chatting excitedly and there was music playing. Eight minutes until the start of a new year. Hinata tried to include Naruto in their conversations so he didn't feel left out. He wasn't very talkative tonight, and Hinata knew that he had Ino on his mind.

Five minutes left.

"Anything you want to say in the last five minutes of 2012?" Gaara whispered to her.

"I love you," was the first thing that popped out of her mouth. "If you ever left me again, I don't know what I would do."

Gaara wrapped his arms around her waist, squeezing her tight. "I promise I won't ever leave you. I'm leaving my life in Suna for you. I think I've committed to being with you for a long time. In fact..." suddenly, he released her, and much to Hinata's surprise and shock, got down on one knee in front of everyone.

Naruto was the first who noticed, then he pulled Sakura and Sasuke over to watch. Hinata wasn't sure who else was around them, but at the moment all she was focused on was the man on his knee in front of her.

"...I plan on staying with you for the rest of my life. Hinata Hyuuga, I love you with everything I have. Will you...marry me?"

Then, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, square velvet box. He opened it to reveal the most beautiful ring Hinata had ever seen. It was a silver band, with three small diamonds.

At first, Hinata was rendered speechless, almost in shock. Her heart was pounding, and she had goosebumps everywhere. She stared at him, afraid that if she made a single movement, she was going to pass out. It took her a few seconds to recover, then she quietly said, "Yes."

"Omigod!" Sakura squealed, clapping her hands.

Gaara stood up and placed the ring on Hinata's finger, then bent down to kiss her passionately in front of everyone. A chorus of catcalls and whooping followed, mostly by Naruto and Kiba who were the loudmouths of the group. Everyone else just "awwed".

And then the New Year's countdown started. Still, Gaara's mouth never left Hinata's. She didn't get a chance to count along with everyone, but at the moment she didn't care.

"...ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one, HAPPY NEW YEAR!"

Hinata heard the sound of fireworks exploding, but she clutched Gaara and continued to kiss him. She couldn't seem to let him go.

"Do you guys want to see the fireworks or what?" Sakura interrupted them finally, and then Hinata heard Sasuke whisper to her, "I think they're already seeing fireworks." Sakura giggled, then winked at the newly engaged pair.

Naruto came over to give her a hug. "Congratulations." Then he shook Gaara's hand. "Treat her well."

Gaara nodded. "I will. Thank you."

After a few more congratulations, Hinata and Gaara settled down to watch the fireworks.

It was the most wonderful New Year Hinata had ever experienced.

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><p>Luckily, Hinata's father had approved of the marriage, as Gaara had done it right and asked him first. Even if it took a bit of convincing on Gaara's part, Hiashi was proud that his daughter found someone who loved her and would care for her. He even allowed her to move in with Gaara when Gaara was permanently a resident of Konoha.<p>

Hinata adored her engagement ring. She wasn't regretting getting engaged so young, at only nineteen. But she didn't really want to date anymore. Gaara treated her well, he made her happy and that was all she needed. Plus he could support her with his job, he got paid well. When she graduated college, she would get a job herself so she wouldn't have to rely on Gaara forever. They didn't plan on having the wedding until after she graduated in June. She wanted to have plenty of time to plan so she wasn't rushed with anything.

Naruto wasn't bitter with the outcome at all. In fact, he'd agreed to be one of Gaara's groomsmen. Kankuro would be Gaara's best man, and Sasuke would be the other groomsman. Hinata would have Hanabi as her maid of honor, and Sakura and Tenten as her bridesmaids. She couldn't wait to shop for her own wedding dress.

It was odd to get used to being engaged rather than boyfriend and girlfriend, but Hinata loved it. Gaara was hers forever.

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><p>The next few months flew by. Hinata couldn't believe it was already March, and she would be graduating in just a few months. School was going well for her, and even though she lived with Gaara now, she wasn't letting him distract her from her studies. If she had a really big test coming up, she would stay at school to study, where he couldn't distract her. Sometimes he brought her supper, but didn't stay long knowing she had to focus.<p>

Gaara was getting along well with the Konoha police officers. Kakashi was his mentor and they seemed to work really well together. Gaara had a leadership quality in him, so Kakashi could see big things in his future.

Hinata didn't let Gaara boss her around the house though. He helped out with laundry, groceries, dishes, cleaning up. Hinata was glad he was willing to do so much. A lot of guys would depend on the girl to do everything for them.

On a Saturday in March, Hinata decided that she wanted to go wedding dress shopping. She didn't have any major tests coming up and she'd already finished her assignments, so she called up Sakura and the two met at Hinata's apartment.

"I'm so excited for you," Sakura exclaimed as they headed to town. "It was the most adorable proposal I've ever seen."

Hinata grinned, she could still remember that day clearly in her head. "I know. H-he's amazing. I'm sorry I couldn't come wedding dress shopping with you though."

"You were away in Suna, you couldn't help it. I had Ino and Tenten there." Sakura frowned at the mention of Ino. "I miss that girl. Have you talked to Naruto lately? I haven't heard from him in a few days, I'm a little worried."

"I don't know, neither have I." Hinata tried to text Naruto whenever she could, but sometimes he just didn't respond, and he hadn't in a few days.

"Maybe we should pay him a visit when we're done shopping," Sakura suggested. "Messaging him doesn't seem to work sometimes."

Hinata nodded. "Sounds l-like a plan."

"I'll try texting him to let him know we're coming over. If he doesn't answer, we'll go over anyway." Sakura picked up her phone and sent Naruto a message.

They stopped at the first bridal shop they saw, and went inside where an older lady approached them cheerfully.

"Who's the lucky bride?" the lady asked.

Hinata showed the woman her ring.

"Oh, congratulations! You seem to be awfully young though," the woman scrutinized her.

"I-I'm nineteen," Hinata was flustered. Why should it matter? She would be buying a dress from these people and giving them business. Then again she had seen all those wedding shows where the consultants were always asking their customers questions.

"That's not too bad. How old is he?"

"Nineteen, soon to be twenty."

"Oh, I see. How long have you been together?"

"Nine months. But w-we're not getting married until probably November."

The woman narrowed her eyes, seemingly less cheerful than before. "I see. Well dear, my name is Amaya, and I'll take you out to the dresses. What type were you looking for?"

Hinata hoped that this woman wasn't judging her by how young she was. "Well, I-I know I want some beading on the top. Strapless with a straight neck, not too poofy but not too flat either."

"I think we have a few like that. What is your budget?"

Gaara was paying for her dress, and he just told her to get whatever one she loved, but she knew there was a price point in her head already. "Around two thousand or so."

"Come with me." Ayama led the two girls out back to a stock room. "These are the ones in the two thousand and under price range. Let's all have a look and pick out a few that fit your description."

Hinata found a couple dresses that she thought she might like, and picked those out, while Sakura found one and Ayama found a few. Once they had their picks, Hinata went into the dressing room with Ayama, while Sakura sat outside the dressing room and waited.

Hinata was nervous. She had never tried on a wedding dress before, but she hoped that Ayama wasn't going to be a grump about it.

"I assume this is your first time trying on a wedding dress?" Ayama helped Hinata into one of the dresses that Hinata had picked.

"Yes."

"Well, let's see what it looks like." Ayama zipped it up in the back, then Hinata turned to face the mirror.

She had that feeling right away. She pictured herself walking down the aisle towards Gaara in it, and her face lit up.

Ayama seemed to lighten up as well. "I can tell already that you love this one."

"I do," Hinata nodded. "I-I think we might have the one."

"Let's show your friend." Ayama opened the door of the dressing room and Hinata stepped out, only to hear Sakura gasp.

"I love it," Sakura cooed, standing up to admire it.

There was beading on the top, and it was a straight neckline like she'd wanted. The bottom wasn't very poofy but it wasn't skin-tight either, it was more like sleek and straight down. It was everything Hinata had been looking for.

Ayama smiled. "Well, looks like this is it. Once you find it, you won't find another one that tops it no matter how much you look. I've had this happen to other brides. Would you like to see it with a veil?"

"Yes, please." Hinata didn't want to take the dress off. She wished she could wear it home.

When Ayama left the room for a few moments, Hinata turned to Sakura. "Do you think Gaara will like it?"

"He'll love it." Sakura wiped at her eyes. "You look like a bride. It's so unreal."

"A-are you crying?" Hinata grinned. Then she felt herself getting emotional as well, but she struggled to hold the tears in.

She was getting married.

Ayama returned with the veil, and placed it on Hinata's head. She tweaked and adjusted it until it fit right, then Hinata looked at herself again.

"This is the dress," she murmured before she burst into tears along with Sakura.

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><p>Gaara greeted her when she arrived home, to the apartment she now shared with him. She loved when he was home before her. He wrapped his arms around her, brought his mouth to hers and kissed her passionately.<p>

That familiar feeling ignited in Hinata. She gripped him harder, pressing herself against him. "Gaara..." she murmured.

He trailed kisses from her mouth to her neck, pressing her up against the wall a bit roughly, but she liked when he showed his rough side. He was often very gentle when they had sex, but there were some times that he liked to play, and it was usually when he was frustrated about something. It was his way of letting off steam. She briefly wondered what was eating him this time, but let him have his way with her.

It didn't take long before their clothes were off and he was fucking her on their kitchen floor.

This was a first. He usually took her into the bedroom, but now he hadn't wasted a lot of time with foreplay. Something must really be bothering him, Hinata decided. When he continued to pound relentlessly into her, she groaned and squirmed, thrusting back as hard and fast as she could, enjoying every second of it.

It didn't take long for him to pull out of her and spill his seeds all over her stomach. They still either used protection or the pull out method, as they both agreed they weren't ready for children yet. They were still only young themselves, after all.

Hinata lay panting for a few seconds. She would never get used to this. She always had the same intense feelings for him every time. It never got old. Everyone said that sex changed after marriage, but she knew it wouldn't with her and Gaara. Sakura also insisted that her and Sasuke's sex was even better now.

"Sorry about that," Gaara bent over her and kissed her quickly on the mouth before standing up and reaching for a paper towel. He ripped off a piece, then knelt beside her to clean up her stomach. "I've had a rough day at work today."

Hinata shakily sat up. "W-what's wrong?"

"Someone died."

Her eyes widened. "W-what? Who?"

"No one you know. It was just the first death I've experienced while in the force. A young girl who said she was running away from home, she was probably about fifteen. I'll tell you more when we get dressed again." Gaara stood, tossed the paper towel into the garbage and pulled on his clothes.

Hinata composed herself and got dressed as well. She had to be there for Gaara, not only as a sexual outlet but a shoulder to cry on. It didn't matter if her thoughts were all in disarray because of what had just happened, along with finding her wedding dress which she had yet to tell Gaara about. Sometimes he needed to tell his stories first.

Once they were dressed again, they sat together on the couch, arms around each other, and he began his story.

"We got called to a public disturbance. It was much like what happened with you and Matsuri, only this time I saw how young and terrified the girl was. This man was holding her hostage, nearly choking her, with a gun to her side. He threatened anyone who came near and tried to help. Someone had called us.

"Anyway, as soon as we showed up, I stepped out of the car and I told him to put the gun down and we could talk calmly. Kakashi stood back and let me handle it, but he was on guard in case the man opened fire. A few seconds later, the man shot the girl in the side, dropped her and the gun, and fled. Kakashi went after him, instructing me to stay with the girl. Anyone who was around had run clear after the gunshot. It was just me and her on the street.

"I took her head in my lap, knowing she only had minutes to live. I offered to get her an ambulance but she told me she was dying and she didn't want to die in a smelly hospital with tubes and wires in her. I told her she wasn't going to die, that I would somehow save her. I wasn't sure how, but I had to.

"She was bleeding so badly. She smiled and thanked me for my kindness. She explained that she was running away from home because her family was broken apart and no one noticed her anymore. Then asked me if I had a girlfriend. I said yes, that I have a fiance. She told me how lucky my fiance is, and that I should cherish every second I have with you.

"Then, she squeezed my hand one last time, closed her eyes, and was gone." Gaara closed his own eyes, as if reliving the moment. "Ambulances arrived, I assumed Kakashi or someone else had called them. The girl was already dead. I carefully laid her head on the ground and let the paramedics take over. There was nothing they could do for her."

Hinata wasn't sure what to say. What do you say to someone after they tell you a story like that? After a few seconds, she replied, "I-I'm sorry."

Gaara squeezed her hand, opening his eyes again. "I know you saw Ino's death. It's a tough thing to deal with. Kakashi caught the man and they tossed him in prison, then he told me I could have the rest of the day off. So I came home and saw that you weren't here. It upset me, because I wanted to do what the girl said. Cherish every moment I have with you. That's why I attacked you ruthlessly when you walked in the door. Again, sorry about that."

Hinata wrapped her arms around his neck, hugging him. "I-I understand now. I knew something was bothering you, b-but I didn't think that it was like this. Did she tell you her name?"

"No, but they found identification on her and her name was Akemi."

"Ake means bright, or the light..." Hinata recalled from randomly searching Japanese names online once. "Mi means the beauty, or beautiful. Her name suited her."

Gaara nodded. "You're right. She looked like she had a lot of life in her. Like she could have been something, you know? It's just...ugh. Why does a life have to go to waste like that? A pointless, stupid act of some idiotic man..."

Hinata saw that Gaara was getting worked up again, so she ran her fingers through his hair, knowing he liked when she played with his hair. "Shh. I love you. I'll always be here."

"I love you, too. Don't ever forget that, ok?"

"I won't."

"Promise?"

"I promise. Oh, I found my wedding dress today."

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><p><strong>Astrocam: I'm not going to set a date cause I'm not sure when the next (and final) chapter will be uploaded. But I'll try and not make you wait as long. Hope you enjoyed :)<strong>


	20. Get Him in the Gonads

**Astrocam: JK, I lied. No last chapter. Actually this wasn't planned at all. Just sort of happened. That's what happens when I write randomly like this. **

**I'm guessing, that next chapter will be the last. I'm pretty sure.**

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><p><strong>Chapter Twenty – Get Him in the Gonads<strong>

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><p>Naruto texted Hinata that night. Her and Sakura had texted him earlier to see about visiting him, but he hadn't answered their messages so they had just gone home after the wedding dress shopping.<p>

Hinata quickly checked the message. At least Naruto was still alive.

He wrote: **Hey, sorry I didn't answer your messages lately. I just needed some time to myself, I guess. Sometimes I just don't feel like talking. I'm still getting used to Ino not being around. I know it's been three months but I'm having a hard time with it. **

Hinata wrote back, **I understand, but Sakura and I were worried. **

**Sorry. I should answer you guys more. I'm fine though. Well, as fine as I can be. Working helps, but coming home and knowing that I can't go see her later is just hard.**

**Would you like a visit now?**

**It's kinda late. Maybe tomorrow?**

**Sure. It's the weekend. Gaara works, but I'll come by myself. **

**Ok, I don't work tomorrow. What time?**

**Say three PM or so?**

**Sounds good, see you then.**

**Yeah, see you.** Hinata was glad to be visiting with Naruto. She hadn't seen him in a couple of weeks now, so it would be nice to catch up.

Gaara was in the living room watching TV, so Hinata left their bedroom and went out to sit beside him. "I-I'm going to visit Naruto tomorrow," she told him.

"Alright. I don't want to go to work," Gaara admitted, resting his head on her shoulder. "I'm scared."

This was the first time Hinata had heard him say that he was scared. It worried her. "W-why?"

"I'm scared that...what if something happens to me? I'm only nineteen, almost twenty. I don't want to have to die so close to our wedding."

Hinata wrapped her arms around him. "Nothing will happen to you," she murmured, though she had to admit that she did often worry about him while he was at work.

"I'd love to believe that," Gaara sighed, twirling his finger through her hair slowly. "I'm going to ask for time off."

"But you've only been with the Konoha police force for a few months."

"I don't care. I need to spend this time with you. They know that we're engaged, and after what happened yesterday I can't take this risk. What if that man shot me instead of her, or shot me as well as her? I mean, I'm not glad that she died, but...I keep thinking about that. I'm thinking about quitting the police force altogether."

Hinata sighed. She secretly wished he would quit, but she didn't want him to quit because of her. "I-I don't want you to quit because of m-me."

Gaara brushed his hand across her cheek. "If I quit it's because I don't want to deal with people dying everyday. I can't handle it."

"But Kakashi said you have a leadership quality," Hinata reminded him. "You could go far."

"I don't care. It's my life. If I want to quit, I'll quit and do something else that I won't have to risk getting shot everyday, or seeing someone innocent die," Gaara snapped suddenly, sitting up. "I'm going to bed. Have fun with Naruto tomorrow. I know it's been a while since you've seen him." Then he stormed into the bedroom and slammed the door behind him.

Hinata winced. She turned to look at the TV, but her eyes weren't focused on the screen. Instead, her vision became a little blurry and wetness started falling down her cheeks. She hated when Gaara was mad, though she had only seen him pissed off a few times other than in the beginning while dealing with Naruto's jealousy.

She had half a mind to text Naruto and see if he would be up for a late night coffee run, even though she didn't like coffee, she wanted to get away from the house. Naruto had turned her down before but maybe now he would accept since Gaara was pissed.

So, she texted Naruto.

**Naruto, I know it's late but Gaara is upset, and I want to get away from the place for a while. Can I pick you up for coffee? I don't like coffee but I can get something else.**

He wrote back a few minutes later, **Sure, what's wrong, is he mad at you?**

**Not mad at me personally. Just that he wants to quit the police force. **

**Oh, why?**

I'll tell you when I see you. I'll be there in a few. Hinata grabbed her jacket. It was nearly twelve AM, but most small coffee shops and restaurants were open all hours. She knew one that she wanted to take him to.

She left a note for Gaara so he wouldn't be worried, and left her apartment.

* * *

><p>"I remember we used to do this before the drama happened," Naruto sighed as they sat in a quiet booth in the coffee shop. He'd ordered a chocolate milk and a donut, while Hinata had gotten an iced cappuccino and a brownie. There were a couple other people there, but on the other side of the small restaurant.<p>

"It was nice," Hinata murmured, thinking back to the good old days before she had moved to Suna. More like, the days before Naruto had kissed her.

"If only I wasn't such a douchebag and just asked you out in the first place. I wonder where we would be now?" He had a faraway look in his eyes as he stared out the window at the gently falling snow. "I still think about it sometimes, even though you are engaged to be married."

Hinata blushed. "Y-yeah, me too." While Gaara made her happy, it was something that came up in her mind occasionally. Who wouldn't be curious, who didn't think of "what ifs"?

Naruto looked down at his chocolate milk, swirling it around with his straw. "I miss Ino like crazy, and while our bond was strong, it wasn't quite like what me and you had. We still have it somewhere, but since the drama it's taken a while to build up the trust again. At least it's starting to feel the same again. I had an amazing Christmas with you, and an awesome New Year's hanging out with you and everyone else. When Gaara proposed to you, I'll admit my heart broke a little more. But I'm happy for you. I just...sometimes wish that was me, proposing to you."

Hinata picked at her brownie, having eaten most of it but since their talk went serious her mind wasn't thinking of eating much. She didn't really know what to say to that, so she remained silent and let Naruto continue his rambling.

"I know this might sound bold. But that night when I almost had sex with you cause I was drunk and horny..." he lowered his voice, then looked her in the eyes. "...I really wish we had gone all the way. By the way, you have a nice body. Just so you know."

Hinata wanted to slide under the table, her face was beat red now. Why was Naruto making this so awkward? "I-I...er...u-um...thanks..." she whispered, taking a sip of her ice cap to distract herself from certain thoughts.

Naruto grinned suddenly. "You should see your face right now."

_The bastard._ Hinata tried to compose herself. "W-what?"

"Hah. I knew it, you still have feelings for me."

That statement shocked her. "W-why do you say that?"

"Because of the way you reacted when I said that about your body." He took a sip of his drink. "You don't think...maybe, just for one night...we could pretend that you're single?"

Her eyes widened. What the hell was with Naruto tonight? "Are you saying I should cheat on Gaara?"

"Well, you guys had a fight, right? You're upset. You came to me for comfort. It's simple as that." He shrugged as if it wasn't a big deal.

"No! I can't do that. I already kissed you once. He forgave me then. I doubt he would forgive me if I had sex with you!" She stood up, ready to leave. "This is going too far. I'm taking you home." Why did he have to ruin their evening by suggesting such a thing?

Naruto stood up as well, leaving his drink behind and following her out to the car. They had already paid for their food when they'd first arrived at the restaurant.

Once outside, Naruto grabbed her arm before she could jump in the driver's seat of her car, whirled her around and pressed his lips to hers.

She fought hard, squirming, turning her head to the side, wiggling to get out of his grasp, but he wouldn't let her. She felt his erection against her hip, realizing he was horny and that was what probably led him to this. He probably hadn't had sex in a few months now, since before Ino died.

After a few seconds, he pulled his lips from hers, breathing hard, his eyes clouded with lust. "I want you. If we don't tell anyone, and only do it this once, who would we hurt?"

Hinata tried to pry his hands from around her waist. "I couldn't hide it f-from Gaara! He moved from Suna to be here with me. I-I can't!" Tears filled her eyes again. Why was Naruto forcing her into this? She'd thought they were past this. She'd thought they were forming their bond as best friends again, but that would be hard if Naruto kept trying to get in her pants.

He grinded his erection against her, hoping to turn her on. "Come on, baby. Just once, it's all I ask."

"What is wrong with you? Why are you doing this?!" Hinata demanded, still squirming but feeling tears run down her cheeks. "Go find someone else to be a one night stand, because I won't!"

When Naruto realized he was making her cry, he finally released his grip on her and dropped his hands to his sides, obviously ashamed. "Omigod. What am I doing?"

"I-I don't know!" Hinata was shaking from the adrenaline rush, and the tears. "I-I'm taking you home."  
>"I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to do that. I just...you look so cute tonight. And I haven't had sex in a few months. I couldn't resist to try. It's like there's something in me that I can't control when I get like that."<p>

Hinata leaned against the car and sank to the ground, her head in her hands. She couldn't drive if she was crying.

Naruto knelt next to her. "Please, I'm sorry. I need to control myself. As soon as I saw that you were crying, those feelings went away and I realized what I was doing to you. Please forgive me."

Hinata wiped her eyes, and saw that he was being sincere. He hadn't meant to do that. She was lucky enough to have Gaara to have sex with everyday, but Naruto had no one. She wouldn't let him off easy, though. "I-I just want to be able to hang out with you and not have that happen."

"I know. I keep screwing up. I'm an asshole. I don't even deserve your friendship." Naruto sighed, hanging his head. "You can tell Gaara what I did if you want. He might never want you to see me again though."

"At this point, I-I'm not sure I want to see you anytime soon." Hinata didn't want to be around Naruto if he couldn't control himself. "A-at least, if I'm by myself."

Naruto sighed. "I'm so sorry."

"I know." Hinata sniffled a few times before her tears dried up. Her heart was still beating fast, but she figured she was safe to drive. "I was having a good time...until that."

Naruto said nothing.

They remained silent for a few moments, until Hinata finally stood up, and Naruto stood up as well. She walked around the car and slid into the driver's seat, while Naruto got in the passenger's seat. The drive to Naruto's place was rather awkward, neither of them saying anything. Hinata was glad she hadn't given in, that she had stood up for herself. Naruto either needed to get laid or learn to control himself while they were together.

She turned to face him when she parked in front of his apartment. "Goodnight," she murmured.

"Night. I'm so sorry. Please text me tomorrow." Naruto gave her a sad smile before opening the door and getting out of the car, shutting the door behind him and walking up to his building.

All at once, Hinata realized her car was too quiet. Without another person in it, it felt empty. She needed to get home and be in Gaara's arms. He would comfort her. That's if he wasn't asleep already, which he probably was.

Who else could she call at this hour?

_Sakura..._ was her first thought. She knew Sakura didn't have to work the next day, unlike Gaara. She wouldn't feel so bad for interrupting her sleep.

Still sitting outside Naruto's building, Hinata texted Sakura. Luckily Sakura was still awake, and she answered right away.

**What's wrong, Hinata? Usually by now, you and Gaara are getting it on, or asleep.**

**I'm not with Gaara. I'm outside Naruto's apartment building.**

**Omigod. You didn't.**

**No. But he tried to.**

**What? Are you ok?**

**I don't know. I don't want to go home and wake up Gaara since he works tomorrow. But I needed someone. So I thought of you.**

**Well, come over. Sasuke is in bed. We can have a girl's night. I don't work tomorrow.**

**Sounds good. I'll be there soon.** Hinata set her phone down then took a last look at Naruto's apartment building before turning her car on and pulling away.

* * *

><p>"Wow, I don't know why Naruto is so different lately. He sure has changed a lot in a year, hasn't he?" Sakura mused after Hinata told the full story of what had happened between her and Naruto.<p>

The two girls were sitting on Sakura's couch in the living room. Hinata hadn't heard from Gaara so she figured he must be asleep, or else he would be up worrying about her. It was one in the morning, after all. Her visit with Naruto hadn't lasted long.

Hinata sighed sadly. "I-I miss the old days."

"Me, too. But now you're happy with Gaara, you're getting married in November. And I adore Sasuke. And it's not like you actually went into Naruto's apartment with him. So no worries, right?" Sakura grinned, ever the optimist.

"I guess. I just...wish that all of this hadn't happened. The drama back when I was in Suna, then Ino dying. It's enough to change a person. I'm glad I'm with Gaara, but I wish Naruto was still the same old Naruto. The one that I loved for so long." Memories rushed through Hinata's mind, of the fun times they'd had together and how many times she had longed for him to notice her as more than a friend. By the time that finally did happen, she had fallen for someone else.

"I know. A lot has changed. You had a crush on him for so long, that I was ready to tell him for you. I was tired of seeing the hopeful look on your face every time you talked to him, only to have him treat you as nothing more than a friend. You should have seen your face the day that he kissed you. I don't think I've seen you smile any bigger. Then the last few months you were in Konoha, he avoided you most of the time." Sakura shook her head in amusement. "Men don't know how to deal with stuff like that. The girl just wishes the guy would tell her he loved her, but to the guy it's not that easy. They're scared of rejection. I think in Naruto's case, he was too dumb to realize that you adored him. And when he kissed you, it shocked him too. Then he needed to deal with these new feelings."

"And that's when I found Gaara." Hinata traced a pattern on the couch with her finger. "I-I don't know how me and Naruto would have turned out as a couple. I love Gaara. But sometimes I think what if, you know?"

"I know, I still think what if I was still with any of my ex's?" Sakura shrugged. "Then I remember that they were assholes and Sasuke is the most amazing guy I know."

Hinata giggled a little. "I suppose. Naruto's not a jerk though, that's what gets me. Me and him never dated. It's like we never had a chance to become something. And that's one thing I sort of regret."

"Ah, that's true. At least I had a chance with my ex's. Well, try not to dwell on it too much. If it's really eating at you a lot, then maybe...maybe Gaara isn't the one for you."

Hinata snapped her head up to stare at Sakura, in shock. "W-what?"

Sakura patted her arm. "I don't mean that you should break up. I'm just saying, that if you are constantly thinking of Naruto while you're with Gaara...maybe you should rethink your decision."

Hinata groaned, putting her head in her hands and rubbing her eyes. She was getting tired. "I'm not thinking of Naruto! I just regret not giving him a chance." _Way to go, keep digging yourself in a deeper hole._ "That's not coming out right!"

"Hey, calm down, don't worry about it. I know what you mean. I was just talking." Sakura stretched. "You look tired."

"I am." Hinata yawned, feeling her eyelids grow heavy. "I-I should get back home so Gaara doesn't worry."

"Stay the night here. I don't want you driving while you're obviously that tired. Send Gaara a text message, and he'll get it in the morning before he goes to work. I'll go get some pajamas and extra clothes for you." Sakura stood up and headed upstairs to her bedroom, while Hinata picked up her phone and started to text Gaara.

Just as she was writing the message, she received a new one. She saw that it was from Gaara.

**Hinata, where are you? I woke up and you still aren't home. A coffee run can't take this long, it's almost one-thirty in the morning.**

**I'm sorry, Gaara. Something happened with Naruto, so I didn't want to wake you and I came over to Sakura's. I'm staying the night there. I'm too tired to drive home.**

**What happened with Naruto? What did he do?**

**I don't want to text it all to you. I want to tell you in person. Tomorrow after you're off work.**

**I'll be thinking about it all day, now you have to tell me. I'm coming there. Stay put.**

**No, you need rest. You have to work.**

**I've gone to work on a few hour's sleep before. I'm fine. I'll stay the night there, too. I'll bring you some clothes. I'll be there soon.**

**Do you remember how to get here?**

**Yes. See you.**

**Alright. **Hinata sighed. Gaara was so stubborn sometimes.

Sakura returned with clothes.

"Gaara's coming," Hinata told her. "He said he'll bring me clothes. He wants to know what happened with Naruto, and he can't wait until tomorrow after work. Thanks for the clothes, though."

Sakura seemed surprised. "Oh, all right. I suppose that bed is big enough for two. Sasuke's still asleep, he's pretty zonked. He'll miss the sleepover."

Hinata had to giggle at that. "I'm sure he won't lose sleep over it."

"True. He never did care for those things. He just told me to do whatever I want. And it's my house now, too." Sakura grinned, setting her clothes on the floor beside the couch.

They made small talk until Gaara arrived. Sasuke had woken up for a bathroom run and heard the two girls downstairs so he decided to join them.

Hinata was never more happy to see Gaara. She wrapped her arms around him the second he walked in the door while Sakura and Sasuke watched.

"What's wrong? What did Naruto do?" Gaara demanded to know, embracing her tightly.

"Great, what did the bastard do now?" Sasuke groaned, still groggy from waking up. He rubbed his eyes.

"I-I don't want to cause a problem to you all, you two can go upstairs if you want," Hinata murmured, worried that Sasuke wouldn't get back to sleep.

"I'm up. I work but it doesn't matter," Sasuke assured her.

Men.

Hinata didn't argue any further. The four of them squished into the couch. Gaara, Hinata, Sakura then Sasuke, who was still in his pajamas. Hinata cuddled into Gaara while she repeated the story.

"Oh my God. I swear if that bastard doesn't keep his hands off you, I'll...I'll put a restraining order on him. God. Fuck, apparently being engaged doesn't even matter to him. Can I just murder him in his sleep now?" Gaara ranted, obviously pissed.

"Gaara, he apologized. I told him I can't hang out with him by himself anymore."

"Good. I don't want you around him at all for a while. Jesus. Motherfucker really knows how to push my buttons."

"H-he didn't mean it," Hinata murmured, regretting telling the story. She should have just kept it between herself and Sakura.

Gaara rolled his eyes. "Yeah. If you didn't start crying, where would you be now? In his bed."

Hinata was horrified. "D-do you not trust me?"

"I keep telling you, it's not you! It's him. I should have taken you back to Suna with me, instead of me coming here where he could have easy access to you."

"But you think I would let him take me in his bed!"

"You're a girl. You don't know how to defend yourself. So if you hadn't cried, he would have pushed you until you said yes."

Hinata was so annoyed with Gaara's assumptions, that she curled her right hand into a fist subtly. Then, without warning, struck out with lightning speed and punched him hard in the shoulder.

"Ow! What the fuck?" Gaara tried to pull away from her, which was hard to do on the small couch. He rubbed his shoulder.

Hinata smirked. "Just because I'm a girl doesn't mean I can't defend myself."

"You tell him, Hinata!" Sakura cheered from behind her.

Sasuke just snored. He had fallen asleep again.

Hinata ignored them and continued her speech. "I know you have a right to be pissed at me. I'm sorry but I can't control what happened. You should learn to trust that just because Naruto might be horny doesn't mean I'll go running over to relieve him. I love you. Not him. I won't ever leave you. Tonight, when he kissed me, I didn't kiss back. What does that tell you?"

Gaara didn't answer, still rubbing his shoulder and not looking at her.

"I love you. You're the one I'm meant to be with. I'm marrying you, for God's sake. If Naruto doesn't respect that and continues to try and get me in his bed, I won't see him anymore out of respect for you. But for now just calm down. We'll figure this out, and get past it. Trust me." Hinata took his hand from his shoulder, brushing her thumb across his knuckles. The she leaned over to kiss his shoulder where she'd punched him. "Sorry for hurting you."

"Well..."Gaara managed to say at last, "...at least I know you can punch. Get him in the gonads next time, ok?" he kissed her on the forehead, and everyone laughed besides Sasuke, who was still snoring away.

* * *

><p><strong>Astrocam: Promise the next chapter will be the last XD <strong>


	21. Life Begins

**Astrocam: I apologize, this chapter is not as long as my normal chapters, but when I wrote that last sentence it felt like it ended at a good spot. So I just left it, there wasn't a need to add anything more. **

**Last chapter. I can't believe I completed a full length fanfiction, and I actually like it. I'm kinda proud of myself. And yet sad that the story is ending. Thank you to my supporters, readers, and reviewers :) I probably would have kept going even if I didn't have a fanbase, but you guys definitely helped boost my morale lol :) On with the chapter. Also, lemon warning.**

**And, and, it's my birthday on Friday :D So this is kinda like an early birthday present. **

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><p><strong>Chapter Twenty-One - Life Begins<strong>

* * *

><p>"Hinata, it's time to get into your wedding dress!"<p>

Hinata glanced at the clock for the hundredth time that day. It was twelve-thirty. Her wedding began at one PM. She hadn't seen Gaara since yesterday, and she missed him. She hoped his bachelor party went well, and that the boys had respected her wishes and not taken him to any strip clubs. He wasn't that kind of person anyway.

She, herself, had Sakura, Tenten and Hanabi over to her apartment and they did ridiculous things that Hinata couldn't (or didn't want to) remember, but she was sure there were photos. They didn't go out though.

She wasn't nervous – at least, until the moment Sakura helped her slip her wedding dress on and she saw herself in the mirror. That's when her palms grew sweaty and her mouth went dry.

"Aww, my big sister is getting married!" Hanabi clapped her hands in delight. She hadn't seen Hinata's dress yet.

Hinata felt her breath quicken. "I-I know," she squeaked, then cleared her throat.

Sakura zipped up the dress, then helped her with her hair and veil. She'd already had her make up done by a professional earlier.

Fifteen minutes left.

"The rings?" Sakura demanded.

"Here." Tenten pulled them out of her pocket and showed them to everyone.

"Good. Where's the father of the bride?" Sakura was being more bossy today than Hinata was, and it wasn't even her wedding.

Just as Sakura asked the question, Hiashi walked into the door, then stopped when he got his first look at Hinata in a wedding dress.

He didn't say a word.

Hinata stood up, making sure the dress wasn't wrinkled. Luckily it was the type of material that didn't seem to wrinkle. "Dad?" she murmured, crossing the room towards him and stopping a few feet from him.

Hiashi cleared his throat in an attempt to compose himself. "You look beautiful," he said at last.

Hinata blushed, then wrapped her arms around him. He slowly returned the embrace, although a bit awkwardly. "Are you ready?" he asked her.

She nodded, pulling away from him, feeling tears in her eyes. "I-I'm ready."

"Everyone! Get into place!" Sakura barked yet another order. She poked her head out into the hallway of the church to make sure that Gaara was already waiting up front and that his groomsmen were in place.

The guests were seated. It was time.

Hinata stood at the front of the line, her hand clutching her father's arm. Gaara wouldn't see her until the doors opened. Hanabi was behind her, her arm linked with Kankuro, Gaara's best man. Sakura was behind Hanabi, her arm linked with Sasuke, and Tenten was next to Naruto. Hinata glanced behind herself at Naruto, who winked at her for reassurance.

Her palms were sweating, but she had to fight the urge to wipe them on her dress.

Seconds later, the familiar chorus of "Here Comes the Bride" being played on the piano filled the air, and the church doors open. Hinata got her first glimpse of Gaara, and her heart began pounding.

He looked so amazingly hot, she had no words in her brain to describe him. He was wearing a black tuxedo with a white shirt and red tie that almost matched his crimson hair.

This was the man she was about to marry. How lucky was she?

His eyes met hers, and his face broke out into this adorable smirk/smile. Cameras began flashing as she walked slowly down the aisle towards him, focused only on his face. It was as if they were the only two people left in the world.

The walk lasted only about thirty seconds, but it was the longest thirty seconds of Hinata's life. She just wanted to get up there and be in his arms.

Finally, she was standing directly across from him at the altar. He took both of her hands in his, kissing one of her hands, earning an "awww" from the guests.

Hinata's veil was still covering her face, but she blushed, hoping everyone wouldn't see it.

The pastor began his speech. It lasted a few minutes before he said, "Rings, please?"

Since they didn't have an official ring bearer, Tenten stepped forward and handed the rings to the pastor. He gave Hinata's ring to Gaara.

"Do you, Sabaku no Gaara, take Hyuuga Hinata, to be your lawful wedded wife?"

"I do," Gaara's eyes twinkled as he slid the ring onto her finger.

"Do you, Hyuuga Hinata take Sabaku no Gaara as your lawful wedded husband?"

"I-I do," Hinata could barely speak as she place Gaara's ring on his finger. She was glad they hadn't written their own vows, she would be way too nervous to read them in front of everyone.

"Does anyone have any objections as to why these two shouldn't come together on this day?"

Silence.

"Then by the power vested in me, by God, and the great country of Konoha, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."

Gaara lifted her veil gently, then leaned in and kissed her passionately in front of everyone, wrapping his arms around her, dipping her like a princess.

More flashes went off and people cheered and clapped, but Hinata didn't care. All she could think about was the man who was kissing her. The man who was now her husband. She was now Sabaku no Hinata.

They pulled apart, much to Hinata's disappointment, then went over to sign the wedding papers to make Hinata's name change official. Her and Gaara were now one. She was thrilled, her wedding had gone perfectly and it was everything she'd ever dreamed about. And they still had the reception to look forward to tonight.

After all the hubbub died down and guests started leaving, Hinata and Gaara got in his car and headed to their apartment. Hinata couldn't stop staring at her wedding ring.

"You look beautiful," Gaara murmured suddenly, reaching over to take her hand. "I love being married to you."

Hinata blushed. "Y-you look hot," she grinned at him.

"You know...we have a few hours until the reception."

"And?" Hinata immediately knew what he was getting at, but she decided to play along.

"Well, the dress is beautiful and I'm glad you've spent my money wisely. Means I can trust you. However, you look much more beautiful without anything on at all."

Hinata's insides quivered. _Oh my. _Their first sexy time as husband and wife. "C-can you drive a little faster?" she whispered, wanting to get home as quick as possible.

"Sure thing, my hot wife." Gaara sped the car up to about fifteen over the speed limit, the fastest he dared to go. He didn't want to get caught on his wedding day. Even though he was still a cop (he hadn't quit the force yet) he could still get charged if he broke the rules and was caught.

It was still a weird feeling, to be called someone's wife at only nineteen years old. Hinata's twentieth birthday was coming up next month, but a lot of people these days didn't get married until their late twenties or early thirties. Perhaps she should have waited, but she felt so right with Gaara. They rarely ever fought, and he always made her happy. So what more could she ask for? That's what every woman wanted right? It was so easy to be with him.

The second they stepped inside their apartment, Gaara grabbed her around the waist and crashed his lips to hers. Hinata responded with just as much fervor. He shoved her roughly against the wall, pinning her there while he attacked her mercilessly, trailing his mouth down her neck towards the top of her dress, grinding himself against her.

"God!" she gasped when he pulled her dress and her bra down, taking her breast in his hand and squeezing it.

"Can I take this damned thing off now?" he growled, reaching behind her only to find that the back of the dress was tied up as if it was a corset. "What the fuck is this?"

Hinata squealed when he whirled her around so that her back was facing him, and untied all the strings until the dress easily slipped off of her, falling in a heap on the floor. She was in her bra and panties now.

It didn't take him long to toss his suit on the floor and he was in his boxers.

_Oh my._ She would never get used to the sight of how amazingly hot he was.

He shoved her to the wall again and she stepped out of the dress, kicking it aside so they wouldn't ruin it. When his skin touched hers, the current that ran between them was overwhelming.

Summoning a burst of strength, she placed her hands on his shoulders while they were kissing, and pushed him off of her. He broke the kiss, startled. But she wasn't finished with him yet.

She grabbed both of his arms, locking him into place, staring at him with lust-filled eyes.

He squirmed. "What are you doing?"

"Showing you that I can take care of myself," she breathed, her voice husky.

His jade eyes gleamed. "Prove it."

She grinned, then pushed him towards their bedroom with a force that surprised even herself. Once in the room, she closed the door behind her, then pounced, shoving him to the bed so that she was on top.

"That was hot," Gaara moaned, hooking his thumbs in her panties as she straddled him.

She squirmed out of her panties, then very quickly tossed her bra on the floor. However, instead of stripping him, she crawled off so that she was sitting beside him, and started rubbing him over his boxers. He clutched the bedsheets as she massaged him, making him so hard that she thought he was going to burst.

Finally, she reached her hand under his boxers and grabbed his erection. He made quick work of his boxers, and let her pump her hand up and down him.

"Don't make me cum like this!" he begged after a few minutes.

"I'm sorry," she grinned, not very sorry at all. Then she leaned down, taking him in her mouth, twirling her tongue around his tip. He gasped and squirmed. She loved making him feel good.

Then, she stopped sucking him and straddled him once more, still holding onto his erection, guiding him towards her entrance. She rubbed him on her sex, the muscles in her belly clenching. Positioning herself directly on top of him, she slowly sank down on him, feeling him fill her. She gasped, grabbing onto his shoulders as she sank all the way down.

He thrust deep inside of her, the sensation hit her like a brick wall. While she was riding him, she closed her eyes, giving into the passion. They weren't using a condom, but even so she could get the morning after pill again. She wasn't worried about possibly getting pregnant at all. Plus they were married, even though they didn't want kids right away, it wouldn't be as big of a deal if all else failed.

It didn't take long for him to spill his seeds inside of her, and she moaned, feeling herself give way as well. She collapsed on top of him, panting, as he pulled out of her. He wrapped his arms around her, crushing her to him and kissing her on the lips.

"I love you," he murmured after he broke apart from her, stroking her hair. "Your make up is smudged."

She squealed, shoving him playfully. "I wonder why!" she giggled. "I'll have to have a shower before the reception anyway."

"Care to have someone join you?" Gaara's eyes twinkled playfully.

"We only have a couple of hours now!" Hinata sat up, climbing off the bed.

Gaara followed her. "So? The two of us in the same shower will save time."

"True. Well, I suppose if you insist." Hinata yawned, pretended to be bored and sauntered towards the bathroom.

Gaara followed after her and very quickly closed the door behind them.

* * *

><p>The reception was a hit. It was everything Hinata had planned for. Naruto and Sakura made a speech, as did Kankuro and Temari together (Gaara's siblings). Hinata also made a toast to Ino, in memory. Hinata and Gaara danced to the song "All or Nothing" by Theory of a Deadman for their first dance as bride and groom. After the father-daughter dance, she had a special best friend's dance for herself and Naruto while Gaara watched from the side. She figured that Naruto was such a huge part of her life, that he deserved something.<p>

"You look beautiful," Naruto murmured while they danced. One of his hands was tight around her waist, while the other gripped her hand. "I'm kind of jealous."

Hinata cringed. She hoped he wouldn't make it awkward again. They had hung out several times since their incident back in March, and he hadn't done anything. "T-thanks," she blushed. She knew that Naruto wished that he was in Gaara's shoes right now.

"It's so weird. I mean, you're a wife now. Sakura's a wife now. I'm still single. Ino's gone. I still don't know where my life is going. You and Sakura seem to have everything all figured out. I'm kind of the loser that sits in the back." He gave a sheepish smile. "I guess maybe I will go to college next September."

"You're thinking about it?" Hinata was surprised. He hadn't told her this yet.

"I've been looking online at courses and stuff. I think I might be interested in some kind of trade or something. I'm not exactly sure yet. But I know there are a lot of good paying jobs that I can get around here with a trade." He shrugged. "It's a thought. I don't want to be at minimum wage the rest of my life. Plus, who knows, maybe I could meet someone. It's hard to meet anyone at work. It's been a year since Ino has died. I still miss her like crazy, but I also miss having a relationship. And it's hard for me to meet anyone new at work. Plus I won't go to college for another year."

Hinata was proud of him. "She would want you to be happy."

He grinned. "I think she'd want me all to herself, even in the afterlife."

Hinata had to smile at that. "I mean, if she's never going to be around, you have to move on sometime. It's ok to fall in love again after someone has gone." She couldn't imagine the pain she would go through if something was to happen to Gaara. But she knew that, probably a few years later she would be able to cope with life again and think about perhaps starting new. She knew that, even though she hated the idea, she would want Gaara to do the same if something happened to her.

"I know. I'm not looking for anyone right now, but if someone happens to come along then I won't stop myself from being with them."

"That's good." Hinata was happy that Naruto had grown up so much. Although she still missed the old Naruto, back before they had kissed the first time, at least now he was obviously maturing and changing for the better.

Their dance was over, and she gave him a hug before releasing him. The music started up again, this time at a fast tempo, and other people stepped onto the dance floor as well.

This was probably the most fun part about a wedding, Hinata mused as Gaara joined her on the dance floor. The ceremony was beautiful and emotional, but it was pretty much just all talking, standing and sitting. Now, though, she could interact with her friends and have the time of her life.

Gaara grabbed her around the waist, grinding his hips into hers in time with the beat. Hinata giggled, but let loose and moved along with the music. Naruto was dancing with Sakura, as Sasuke was being a deadbeat and refused. He only danced to slow songs, according to Sakura.

Hinata's feet were sore by the time the reception was over. She'd even taken her shoes off halfway through, but found that it was too late and she already had blisters. But it was worth it.

While driving away with Gaara from the reception hall, Hinata reflected on the most amazing day of her life. She couldn't wait to get the pictures back from their photographer and share them with everyone, including the people who couldn't make it.

Now, she was officially a wife, and her life with Gaara could begin.

* * *

><p><strong>Astrocam: And that's a wrap. I'm sure I'll grace your presence with another story sometime soon. I'm debating on a sequel, if I can think of an idea. So, goodbye from me for now, and happy birthday to me on Friday :D <strong>


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